


God Eater: Infinity Paradise

by stringlessfate



Series: God Eater -Nova- [1]
Category: God Eater (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Drama, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Apocalypse, Slow Burn, Soma might be a bit OOC, i suck at summaries, story is a mix of game and anime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2018-12-07 15:02:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 56
Words: 227,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11626029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stringlessfate/pseuds/stringlessfate
Summary: A flower blooms in the coldness Soma Schicksal had isolated himself within, bringing back memories far from the nightmares of the apocalyptic world.It was Ichinose Yuka's long awaited chance to finally work with her childhood friend. But with him becoming distant in matter of years, how would she keep the promise that is in the brink of oblivion? All while juggling her duties as a God Eater, and her own personal problems.





	1. Yuka Ichinose

**Author's Note:**

> This work, God Eater: Infinity Paradise claims no property over God Eater, the games, the anime, and other related franchise owned by Namco Bandai, to whom the plot, the characters and basic idea belongs. 
> 
> God Eater: Infinity Paradise, and its following written works, is purely a work of fiction. Any names taking similarity to a real person’s, whether they be living or dead, is purely coincidental.
> 
> Yuka Ichinose is sole property of _stringlessfate_.
> 
> C rightfully belongs to God Eater Wiki user RoinelIl.
> 
> German and Russian are inaccurately translated.
> 
> Thank you and enjoy reading!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soma doesn't appreciate uninvited guests digging his childhood memories.

Soma Schicksal, by any chance, was not in the best of moods to deal with every single bullshit he was always made to deal with. There is nothing, and by that he means nothing, that can be even more comfortable than laying sprawled on his bed, giving not a single damn about the mess of his own room, the clothes scattered all over the floor, the fact that it was actually time to get up for another crappy day or the footsteps that strolled into his own room. However, when a pair of hands pulled those thick, black, velvet curtains apart from each other, that was when his fuse blew up. Sunlight—fucking, annoying sunlight—poured from the glass panes of the window and forced themselves to his eyes, rubbing away every bit of sleep he was very happy with. Aggravated, he made a quick turn to the other side, back now facing the source of light, and ignoring every kind of disturbance.

After Eric's death in the hands... err, claws... err, teeth of an Ogretail days ago, he still was not in any mood to get up. Everything that had happened would then just be blamed on him and his bad luck. He had enough of that. Enough.

"Just how long are you going to stay there?" Came a question.

"Forever," he answered in a grumble, mindlessly grabbing for a pillow to cover his face with. "Now, out."

"How rude," the other continued, the voice somewhat etching a mark on his head, and forcing him to dig deep into some stuff he thought he had forgotten about. "I came all the way from Europe and this is how you welcome me? It’s not very nice, Soma."

He threw off the covers and sat up, glaring daggers with those sharp blue eyes, and hissing at the visitor grinning triumphantly before him. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked, slipping off the comforts of his bed and making a grab for the blue jacket hanging on the back of a chair. Once again, his eyes darted towards the other. Physically speaking, she hasn't changed at all since six years ago. Those wavy strands of golden blonde hair used to rest right on her shoulders, but now are long enough to even go beyond the middle of her back. Her eyes were still that lively blue in color. The Armed Implant on her right wrist indicated that her presence meant serious business, and one that would stick forever.

" _Onkel_ let me in," came her casual answer. "He said it might be a good idea to surprise you."

"Then tell him it isn't," he replied, pulling the hood atop his head. "The Far East Branch is not a playground, Yuka. We have people dying every single day. Why did you even come here?" He wasn't mad at her, but at her being here. Surely it is his father's crazy idea once again, and if that is the case, there is no way his objections would be heard and taken into considerations. But this wasn't part of the plan.

"Apart from seeing you?"

He grumbled once more. "Yes."

Her eyes shifted their gaze, appearing wistful at the moment. There was a short moment of silence before her reply came; her voice losing that joyful tinge that it had a minute ago. "... To finish a project." That seemed to pique his interest, but Soma, being Soma he is, pretended not to be interested in said project. "... A big one." Three words to get him even more curious. But instead of any interrogation, he proceeded to the door and walked out of his room without a single word, the girl named Yuka trailing right behind him.

He didn't seem to mind, so she continued to follow him to the section elevator and to the Den's lobby. A few other God Eaters greeted him a good morning, but Soma only scoffed and continued on his way, exiting the lobby to the hall across. "Have you always been like that towards everyone?" She finally asked. "Can't greet them back or at least give them a glance?"

The white-haired lad simply scoffed. "You won't even be staying here long enough to mind that." Both their tracks came to a halt before a metal door, which immediately opened, allowing the pair of God Eaters to walk in. The sight of the First Unit and their instructor Tsubaki Amamiya registered in his sight. The older female said a thing or two about being late in her usual irritated voice, but Soma easily brushed her off as he stood uninterested by the side of his team.

"Now that all of you had been gathered," Tsubaki began. "I have an introduction to make."

"Ichinose Yuka from the Fenrir European Branch – Assault Team. I look forward to working with everyone."

Smoke puffed out from a tall, raven-haired male's cigarette, as he scratched his head and glanced at the blonde in question. "So, the Director brought in a back-up?" He asked.

Tsubaki shook her head. "No. Starting today, she will be joining your ranks in the First Unit - under your supervision, Lindow. The Director had finished arranging her transfer from Europe and Yuka will now be in service of the Far East Branch–"

"What?!" Soma growled.  _Alright. That is completely out of the plan_ , he thought. But Yuka only kept that optimistic grin of hers, much to his annoyance.

The woman dressed in black and green turned to Soma in confusion. "Is there any problem, Soma?" She asked, but the said male only turned his head away and scoffed.

Seeing that no one else had any violent reactions, Tsubaki resumed, "Yuka had been working in the European Branch for three years with satisfactory battle records. Survival rate is also quite stellar. With another veteran on your team, the Director now has greater expectations of you all. That is everything I have to say. You may return to your own duties now."

* * *

 

A getting-to-know-each-other with a few cans of beer, soda and some bag of chips while everyone are yet to be called down to any life-and-death mission. Even Soma, as taciturn and anti-social as he is, was forced to sit down on the far end of the table in the cafeteria, after majority of his comrades pleaded at him to stay. Well, it wasn't entirely like that, but close enough. "So, Yuka, why don't you tell us a little more about yourself?" Began Sakuya, the unit's Vice Captain, pulling open the tab of her canned beer.

Huh, where does she begin then? It isn't like Yuka herself was a very interesting person; just an ordinary God Eater dealing with ordinary God Eater problems, like everyone else. "Ah, my parents were colleagues of  _Onke_ —Director Schicksal and Professor Sakaki..." Only when she finished that part of her sentence did she realize how wrong it was to begin her life story that way. "... And, well... When they died, the Director was the person who helped me into getting to the European Branch as a God Eater. It was around in 2068, I believe." There was a grumbling on the end of the table, and Lindow himself looked as though he had something else running in his mind. "The New-Types were only under development that time, but the aptitude test declared me compatible with one of the archetype New-Type God Arcs that had been produced by the HQ."

Kota Fujiki guzzled down the contents of his soda can. "Wait, so if you know the Director, then you knew Soma too?"

"Oh yes!" In split second, she was all giddy and jumpy in her seat. "Do you know Soma is very good in hide-and-seek? And I never get to win against him in  _janken_  too!" She came to a pause, seeing her new comrades' surprised expression, as if they suddenly heard things that were completely more out of this world than Aragamis and Oracle Cells. "What–? You guys never played  _janken_? Rock-paper-scissors?"

Alisa was the first one to recover from the shock. "Ah, no. But Soma playing hide-and-seek, and rock-paper-scissors... It certainly doesn't sound like Soma at all." The Russian returned her attention to her own can of soda halfway from being empty, and decided it was more interesting than imagining the taciturn and stone-cold Soma Schicksal overjoyed about his straight victories in rock-paper-scissors.

Lindow was smirking. "That is something... new," he laughed, whipping his head over to the lad in a blue hoodie. The other was giving the 'fuck off' and 'don't you dare start a war' vibe, but Lindow would not fall for that. "Say, Yuka, what other _"interesting"_ stories do you have with you?" Soma grumbled like it was the end of the world.

Well, at least the rest of the team didn't require her to tell more about herself, but they did find more entertainment in her childhood memories with Soma. As Lindow threw an arm around said lad and continued to tease him, the team chuckling and giggling in the background and Soma pushing the Unit Leader off his face in annoyance, Yuka could only sigh in complete relief, never been so thankful that she had gotten to meet them. All of them.

However, he bit back, probably because his rage meter was ready to explode since she started disturbing the hell out of him since this early morning. As he desperately tried to rip Lindow away from him, he yelled out, completely out of character, "I'm not the one who started out with the promise rings!"

The noise died, "Ooh~" and they cooed.

Yuka's face grew as red as her clothes, almost like a volcano nearing eruption. She grabbed for the nearest soda can, which happened to be Lenka's, and threw it straight at the white-haired male's face, striking the forehead like a bull's eye. "D-Don't bring that up!"

Headlines on Far East Daily: The First Unit making a commotion in the cafeteria.

Soma scoffed, rubbing his forehead.

"And you haven't returned my ring to begin with!" She added.

"A ring, Yuka-san?" Lenka asked, not seem to mind his soda being wasted.

The blonde sunk back to her seat, smoking hot red. Soma had fallen silent as well, that sudden outburst probably taking a week worth of his speech. Thankfully, Sakuya decided to close the topic instead of teasing more, "I guess it really happens when you're kids, isn't that right? Sudden burst of feelings and there's that~"

No one else spoke, and the only thing lacking in there now was a huge banner that read 'Awkward' hanging right above their heads. "A-Anyway, I really am looking forward to working with all of you," she began again. "I've heard a lot about you guys even before my transfer." Her head spun towards Lindow. "They said Lindow was able to defeat an Ouroborous single-handedly-" and then towards Sakuya "-and Sakuya is the best sniper of the branch, while Alisa has truly commendable battle skills for a new recruit. And- why am I talking like a rookie?"

The alarms suddenly blared, which nearly threw Yuka off her seat in shock. God, if she would have to deal with this loud noise every single day, her ears would surely bleed! Can't they be sensitive to people's hearing when they install alarms?! A voice then rang out in the midst of the noise, calling attention of the First Unit. Their unit. Lindow sighed, disappointed, "Well, that's our cue. Party is over." Everyone seemed to share a mutual agreement, rising from their seats and silently heading out of the cafeteria.

After all, being a God Eater isn't always fun and games. In fact, it was never fun and games from the very start. The fate of mankind lies in their very hands, like a thread that holds onto humanity to keep their existence. This is the job she had chosen, and turning back is far from being an option.

Even if it meant losing her life in the process, if it is for the greater good, then it is pointless to be selfish.

But to play  _that_  role in this show they called 'life', it was completely forced onto her. Seeing that she really was not given a chance to choose from the very beginning, it only makes Soma even more right than he thought he was...

She won't be staying in the Far East long enough to bother about him.


	2. Prototype

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Work right off the bat? 
> 
> Definitely sounds like the First Unit.

A mission on the first day of work? Sweet. A Fallen Borg Camlann as the first assignment? Completely sour.

"'Sup with a flaming Borg?" asked Lindow, noticing the nervous chuckle that slipped past the blonde girl's lips, and the way her hands shook slightly as she worked on the terminal.

"I just... don't have many fond memories with that particular kind of Aragami." Well, who does? "It is actually pretty close to giving me arachnophobia." There was the sound of machinery groaning to life, and as soon as her own weapon displayed itself in the God Arc storage room, Yuka parted from the terminal and went to take the weapon and its case. "My past encounters with a Borg Camlann led to tragic events."

No one said a word, and she greatly appreciated that. As God Eaters fighting on the front lines, all have their own terrible experiences. Others they simply laugh at, most they prefer not talking about.

The task at hand was simple actually — eliminate a Blaze Fallen Borg Camlann and a Spark Fallen Borg Camlann in two different locations. A group of scientists researching those areas nearly met an unfateful end, which is why the places need immediate clearing. Lindow had explained what they'll do: the First Unit will be divided into two groups, Lindow's and Sakuya's. "Soma and Yuka are coming with me. We'll take care of the Blaze one. Sakuya, Lenka, Kota, and Alisa are going to deal with the Spark one. 's that clear?" He then proceeded to give his famous three orders speech.

"But isn't that four?" Yuka asked, a bit confused, turning to Soma.

"He can't count. Deal with it," the other grumbled, grabbing the casing of his own God Arc. "And he can't follow his own orders." He then proceeded to load said equipment into the back of the jeep they will be using, climbing up inside without any other word. Yuka shortly followed suit, confusion still evident in her face, as she took seat across from him.

Lindow walked by, patting the side of the vehicle. "Don't you two do anything funny in there, a ‘right?"

"Ha-ha," laughed Soma sarcastically, glaring up at the older man with sharp, blue eyes while the other climbed up behind the wheel with a snicker. Lindow's God Arc sat beside him on the passenger's seat.

Sakuya's team was done preparing as well, God Arcs loaded into the back of the jeep. Alisa seems to lecture Kota in regards to his 'frivolous' attitude, and the boy appears not to be that pleased with it. The vehicles' engines then roared to life, the gates of the armored wall opened, and both groups drove away from their home base.

The ride was so silent, it almost fell awkward. Lindow seemed not to be in the mood for any conversation, and Soma was never in the mood for even one. He would pull down his hood every now and then, indicating his non-existent desire to utter a single word. "Is it always like this?" She pouted. "The silence is much more lethal than fighting a dozen of Aragamis." Soma only scoffed.

"Have you tried?" asked Lindow, obviously suppressing a laugh, for if she had dealt with as many Vajras as that, she wouldn't be right in there with him and Soma. When Yuka mumbled a meek "of course not", the older male laughed once again.

* * *

That was... one hell of a Charge Crush Soma sent straight to the large Aragami silently feeding in one corner. The monster shrieked in pain and turned towards them, brandishing its huge ugly shield. Lindow said something about making it quick or something, which she really didn't hear that well as they all dashed to different directions to dodge the trampling beast.

The blonde reached for the pocket strapped on her right thigh, and pulled out a handful of bullets, hand furiously working to load them all into the cartridge of her God Arc's gun form. A small bar on either side of the large gun glowed in faint blue, and at the press of the trigger, the Aragami was blasted with a bomb Freeze bullet straight at its hind legs. Despite its continuous movements, she tried her best to aim right on the said body part, until the glow of her gun died out, forcing the God Eater to switch to its sword form.

She aimed for the hind legs with simultaneous crushing blows.

Supposed to, that is.

The Borg Camlann struck the ground with its shield, which Yuka found herself staring straight at.  _Dammit_ , she cursed, feeling that odd shaking in her body once again and the God Arc growing heavy in her hands. "Tail Spin! Tail Spin!" A voice so faint was yelling. "Outta the way!" She could have sworn right there, she saw her dying father, bathing in his own blood and telling her to run. Or her former comrades, almost lifeless.

The next thing she knew, her body was pummeled down to the grounds of the city, her head throbbing in pain upon hitting the ground. It hit her, didn't it? "Stand up!" A voice told her. "Did you come here to die or what?!" Her eyes flew open almost immediately, and what registered to her sight was Soma, scowling angrily down at her. "If you're just gonna be trouble, you should have stayed in Europe."

Both of them stood and picked up their weapons. "What do you even know?" She mumbled, but the other was already too far to even hear it, the Aragami's own sounds drowning such faint mumbling. Lindow worked himself with the Borg Camlann's tail, while Soma busied himself with the shield and hind legs, hitting it with Charge Crush at every possible time.

Yuka, on the other hand, went for the role of support, bombarding the large scorpion's hind legs with a barrage of radial bullets, or the mouth with continuous laser bullets, as fast as a blast gun's firing rate could allow.

The battlefield was a complete chaos with the three of them trying to stay away from the Borg Camlann's attacks, and staying as closest as possible to deal the heaviest possible attack they could. It was not honestly that too easy when the enemy moves around a fucking lot, and Buster Blades aren't exactly the type of thing to perform quick attacks. Yuka blasted its legs with even more radial bullets, careful not to misfire at any of the two males, before summoning the God Arc's predator form to devour the Aragami.

Comboing with another one of Soma's Charge Crush, the attack forced the monster to its Downed State, which both Soma and Lindow took as a chance to deal even more damage. The luck lasted only for a few good hits though, as the Aragami rose and fought back with its large needle piercing small areas in the ground. The land shook slightly and Yuka almost lost her balance and toppled down for a mere moment. Lindow made one leap to the Borg Camlann's tail, and rammed his chainsaw right at said body part. The monster shrieked in pain, and spun in an attempt to throw the assailant off. A few swinging of its lengthy tail managed to succeed in knocking the tough man off, but Lindow landed on his two feet, lunging back at the monster.

Another devour replenished Yuka's supply of ammunition with much more powerful Pierce bullets, which she fired straight at the Aragami's mouth, followed by another bombardment of radial bullets on its legs _. Just don't think of anything else_ , she told herself, switching to her Buster Blade and swinging one Charge Crush right at the part she despised the most — the Borg Camlann's shield.

That seemed to do the trick, for the Oracle Cells binding the shield broke apart, and Yuka had never been so thankful she doesn't have to see that ugly ass shield again. The hind legs followed shortly after, Soma's efforts finally paying off. Things were flowing nicely, as it seems.

With most of the substantial body parts unbound, the Borg Camlann is sure to go down in the following minutes. But with the said Aragami entering its so-called 'enraged mode', all three of them had to shift their focus on the broken shield while staying aware of the enemy's quicker movements. The blonde God Eater made a quick roll to the side to avoid the incoming pin missiles, and resumed to her job of firing homing laser bullets straight towards the Aragami's mouth.

In the midst of bullets flying, swords tearing Oracle Cells by Oracle Cells and the Aragami shrieking in pain, it found its chance to back away and ran for dear life. "It's getting away!" Lindow said, wasting not a single second to pursue the monster. Soma and Yuka followed suit, the latter working on filling her reserve with another handful of bullets.

The thing about a Borg, is that it remains wary of its surroundings while eating. It doesn't help that it has average visual and auditory senses unlike many other Aragamis they fought in the past. "The longer we wait, the harder it'd be to take it down," said Soma in a gruff voice.

Yuka was the first to break the Aragami's concentration through another powerful Freeze radial bullet, its effect strengthened by the use of a Blast Gun. The Borg Camlann spun towards their direction, and retaliated with a barrage of pin missiles. Lindow dashed to the side and went straight for the unbound shield, while Soma deployed his Tower Shield. Yuka dodged the missiles and took refugee beneath the Aragami, targeting all its four legs.

It only took a few more slashes to bring the Borg Camlann to its end, three pairs of eyes watching at the fruits of their labor. "Well, we got to take home the core," said Lindow, lighting up a cigarette and turning towards the blonde God Eater at his side. "Go ahead, Yu-"

"I'm not doing it," she said in a firm voice, causing even Soma to whip his head towards her. "You can't make me do it."

"Oh-kay," the Unit Captain replied with a shrug. With a sigh, he held onto his own weapon and summoned its Predator Form, the said creature extending towards the fallen Aragami and enclosing its jaws with a powerful chomp. Upon its disappearance, the core of the God Arc briefly glowed, and then everything fell to silence.

* * *

"A prototype?"

She nodded. "Before the New-Type God Arcs had been released by the HQ, they had plenty of prototypes. Fenrir had no intentions of allowing these prototypes be used by God Eaters due to the dangers they pose, but when very few recruits were found compatible with only them, they had no choice. Unfortunately..."

Alisa pulled the cup away from her lips and tilted her head. "Unfortunately...?"

"None of those recruits lasted long in service."

Everyone's eyes widened. "What? F-For what reason?" If it were the 'normal' reasons behind the short life span of God Eaters, it is still acceptable, but the First Unit was in for a much bigger surprise upon hearing the transferee's answer.

"Their God Arcs _devoured_ them." Everybody fell silent, all at a loss of words. The situation isn't exactly new to them, as a God Arc can really 'devour' a God Eater it is not compatible with, but for the weapon to do such to its own wielder... "The Oracle Cells binding prototypes aren't as stable as the newer second generation God Arcs," Yuka explained. "As such, instability could cause the compatibility to plummet down, and the God Arc to consider its wielder to be a foreign object. Not one with it."

Kota's head seemed to be ready to explode any coming minute. He raised a shaking hand, looking as though he will throw up if he is to absorb any more of what she was saying. "I'll... go watch Bugarally," and he departed from the lounge with his head hanging low.

Alisa apologized for Kota's stupidity.

"But, Yuka-san, haven't you been using that God Arc for years now?" Lenka inquired. "It's good that it had remained stable all through this time."

The blonde chuckled. "I guess that's the power of extreme luck..." She took a quick sip of her lemonade and turned towards the lad by her side, lips twisted in a teasing smirk. "... Isn't that right, Soma?" But the other only replied with a short 'tch' and turned away, much to her amusement. Her attention shifted towards Lenka once again. "But, regardless of the dangers being a God Eater pose, we're all still here, right? Placing our lives in the front lines for humankind's sake." The Russian nodded in agreement, bearing a confident smile in her face.

Everyone else seemed to agree with that.

The conversation then shifted back to how their respective missions went, and they started to narrate the funniest, dumbest, and most dangerous happenings during their conquests. There was Kota slipping on the wet terrains of the Wailing Plains, and Alisa misfiring at Lenka by accident. Lindow also did not fail to bring up Yuka's own moment of failure, even adding up that Assault Corporal Taciturn saved her from a sure day in the Sick Bay. Soma grunted at both the memory and the nickname, and even went as far as throwing an insult towards their transferee, bringing the latter to embarrassment.

Night fell unbelievably quick, and Soma expected Yuka to be fast asleep by now. However, he found her seated by the window sill, gazing at Aegis in utter silence. "Good evening," she said, hearing the door of her room slid open. "What a surprise, Soma. Usually, I am the one who goes to your room and... _bothers_  you." This time, a cheeky smile briefly crossed her lips, before she turned her eyes back to Aegis at the far distance.

The male took a comfortable seat in the couch, but said no word. After a long moment of silence, Soma spoke, looking at her from the corner of his blue eyes, "The true reason why that prototype God Arc is yet to become unstable..." He paused, waiting for any kind of reaction, but she only sat there with her own eyes on him, prodding at him to continue. "... is because of  _it_ , right?"

Once again, she smiled, and nodded. Since their childhood, they do not talk about that certain thing that tied their fates together. Simply referring to it as ' **it** ' is enough. "Quite a wonder, isn't that right?" She asked, leaving the window sill and instead occupying the space by his side, seeing that he was not to give any objection.

"Still a curse," he grunted.

They always had a different view in regards to it. Soma, since his early age, considered it as nothing but a curse — the curse that brought his life spiraling downwards to the current wreck it is right now. Yuka saw its complete antonym. She would always tell him it is the reason both of them are standing where they are now, with all the people around them. Up to present, Soma still failed to understand how her brain ticks, to look at such a disdainful thing in such a way.

"Who could have thought that it could harmonize the unmatched Oracle Cells of both the God Arc and the God Eater, to prevent the cells from taking over the human body?" She asked. "Even its successor could not showcase such a feat."

"But why did you take it? The prototype."

Her eyes shifted back to Aegis, her voice dropping that giddy tone it had from her scientific rambling. "I told you. I'm not letting you leave me behind. If you keep on doing that, I'll just have to catch up with you."

Soma clicked his tongue, obviously beginning to get annoyed. He didn't want her to _'catch_ _up with him'_. Hell, she shouldn't even be here in the first place, much less be wielding a God Arc. "Don't place the entire hope-thing on your shoulder, Soma," he heard her say. "We're in this together." And then he once again heard those words she would always blabber when they were young: "If I live long enough to do it, I'll study and make improvements..."

"Of what?"

"The P73 Bias Factor."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, hello. Thank you for reading this mess!


	3. The Things that Led Me Back to You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Where was I that time?"
> 
> "Who knows? If I had the slightest idea, I wouldn't have hoped you'd come. I mean, Soma Schicksal had always been my biggest hero."
> 
> "Why didn't anybody tell me?"
> 
> "What's the point of telling you that a group of scientists was annihilated by a single Aragami and the lone survivor suffered severe trauma and paralysis after being trapped helplessly?"

It had only been a week since Yuka's arrival to the Far East Branch, but Soma was already having the worst headache in his history of headaches.

"For the fourth fucking time, Yuka..." he growled, glaring down at the God Eater by his side. "...my room is  **not**  a hotel suite." But it seemed like she was not into listening to him, as she simply turned to the other side, and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. The lad grunted in annoyance, but never in defeat. Surely, if he begins complaining in regards to her actions, it would be easy for her to bring up that they used to do this when they were younger. The thing is, they are not children anymore and a lot has changed since the day he decided to take on this path all by himself.

"WHA- AHH!" Yuka fell face-first on the floor, tangled in a mess of twisted fabric. Her fall came with a loud  _thud_  that he was sure it had been audible even down to the Den's lounge. Soma snorted, as her body visibly cringed in pain.

Now that the first problem in the morning had successfully been eliminated, it was about time to go on with his daily dose of crazy crap. That is, if Yuka had not suddenly leaped up across the bed and tackled him down to the ground. "That's evil!" She yelled. Soma was lying down on the ground, his legs still up on the bed, and her seated on his stomach. His head was throbbing from hitting the floor, and Yuka was not at the very least helping him in any way.

"You don't kick someone out of the bed like that!" The blonde complained, glaring angrily at him.

He was not one to give a care. Blue eyes returned the glares of equal intensity, as he made futile attempts to rise from the floor. But with her heavy ass seated right on his stomach, there was nothing else he could do but pull his head up. No more, no less. Of all the people, why is she the one anyway?

Soma hissed at his own helplessness. "Have you been gaining weight?" He asked, a small teasing smirk tugging on the edge of his lips. "Because I don't remember you weighing like a Kongou the last time we did this."

She looked like she was ready to explode.

* * *

Lindow is fucking annoying.

Ever since he popped out of the section elevator, he had been laughing at him at the beet red hand mark on his cheek. "Ooh~ that looks like it hurt a lot," he teased, even poking said mark with an index finger.

The younger God Eater swat away the older's hand, and scowled at his captain, "Do you want one too?" But he did not wait for an answer, walking over instead to the mission counter. Hibari even gave a small note of the visible slap mark he was wearing, but Soma paid no mind to it. "Ah, by the way, Soma," the operator then called out before he could leave the counter. "The Director asks you to see him in his office."

Oh great. This day is growing far worse than he anticipated, asking to be seen by the person he least wanted to see. After grumbling a few words under his breath, he eventually complied with the request and headed back for the elevator.

Yuka's heart was ready to leap out if her chest the whole time she had been inside the Director's office. As the other continued to speak words she did her utmost to absorb, her mind was haywire with a whole load of questions, that she has no idea where to begin asking if the other even allows her to. "And so, I look forward to your good work," he finished, finally turning around to properly face her. There was something in his expression that seem to send unexplained chills up her spine, but Yuka decided it is easier to let it roll off her back than be even more curious about it. She then politely exited the room, greeted by a pair of blue eyes as soon as she opened the door. "Oh."

He frowned, but what else is new? He took a few steps in as she stepped aside. "What are you doing here?" He asked, but the only reply he received was a frugal smile far from his expectations, and the girl disappeared behind the closing door.

Yuka traversed the hallway in utter silence, her mind a million more miles away as she punched the buttons on the elevator. The small confinement shook slightly and began to descend.  _On this project relies the future of humankind,_  she was told. "Bullshit crap."

"What is?"

Yuka realized she was too absorbed on her own distant thoughts that she missed the elevator coming to a short stop and the sounds of footsteps entering the elevator. "The Aegis project." The raven haired lad seemed perturbed by her answer, as he turned to her, his face showcasing slight disbelief. "Do you think otherwise, Lenka?"

"Isn't it the only hope mankind has?" He asked, his own gaze meeting her inquisitive eyes. "... The only way everyone can be safe from the Aragami."

She chuckled, just as the elevator settled on the final floor and chimed. "Lenka-san is truly a newbie." Yuka pushed herself away from the wall she leaned on, and took her steps towards the doors. "There is no such thing as 'only  **one**  way'. That is why there are Three Fates, not one." Smiling, she waved him a quick goodbye and headed further down to where Hibari was.

"Oh, Yuka," Takeda Hibari greeted with that optimistic smile of hers. "A mission straight from the Director was released a few moments ago. I don't have authority over these kinds of things so please do help yourself." The blonde perused the contents of the mission request, carefully scanning each and every part of the text. She then smiled at the redhead female and bid farewell, shifting her attention to Utsugi Lenka who had followed her down to the lower area of the lounge.

His verdant eyes appeared to glisten with hope in the warmth of the Den's morning light. "Then there are other ways?" He asked. "Other than finishing Aegis?"

"Of course," she answered. "You'll never know. You might just run into one."

* * *

【 _ **Mission Title:** Sweet Home_ 】

【 _ **Field:** Tranquil Temple_ 】

【 _ **Client:** Fenrir_ 】

【 _ **Mission Rewards:** 3000Fc | Goddess Feather | Goddess Steel_ 】

【 _ **Mission Description:** Two Sariels have been sighted above the Tranquil Temple. The head is weak to direct attacks but since it's in the air and small Aragami surround the area, you may have to snipe its torso from afar._ 】

The blonde grunted. "Where's a sniper when you need one?" She honestly would have dragged Gina or Sakuya if given the chance, but alas, there are things forbidden to be said in their line if work.  _These kinds of missions are extremely confidential and dangerous. That is why, as much as possible, I would like these assignments only between the two of you._  Eliminating the small Aragamis had been an easy job, but the targets of the mission were nowhere to be seen. At least for now, that is.

"If you plan to do nothing but complain, leave me alone."

Yuka parted her lips to make a smart retort, but eventually decided against it, instead following the male's footsteps. Their every step created little prints on the thin layer of snow present in the area. "What happened... in the past six years, Soma?"

Not being too good with handling people is one thing she would understand. After all, during their younger years, they had nowhere else to stay but the laboratory, and it didn't exactly hold the best of memories. Still, they do not seem to be enough for him to cut himself off from everyone... right?

"You do realize where in the middle of an assi–"

"What was in those six years that keep you on denying even **me** past those tall walls you built around yourself?"

Soma flinched. It was not just a simple question, but one that demanded an answer. What is she coming up with now? Why is she suddenly asking him about this? He whipped his head away with a _'tch'_. Realizing that this little wrangle she had started would not be over lest she gets an answer, the tall male sighed and half-heartedly opened his mouth, "You know–" 

The tall fences lined in the middles of the area suddenly crashed, and both God Eaters lifted their respective God Arcs, aware of anything that might jump in from the smoke.

The entirety of the battle was noisy and silent at the same time, it was absolutely deafening. There were the sounds of clicking gears, shots being fired, the Aragamis screaming, and even the ugly sounds of blades tearing through flesh by flesh of Oracle Cells, but all throughout the brawl, he had not heard her utter a single word or yell even one command. She fought against the pair of Sariels in complete silence, and Soma discovered another thing he hated.

That's why, as they both watched the decomposing corpses of the fallen Sariels, Soma decided he would not take any more of this silent treatment she was suddenly giving him. "Many died–"

There was no reply.

"– that is why... everyone else keeps their distance."

Much to his surprise, the girl started giggling, which ended up in a fit of laughter that she even went as far lying down on the ground. It honestly stirred a bit of irritation from within, and he began questioning why she was in his life in the first place. "I could have been one of those _'many'_ ," she began. "... and trust me, I still loathe you for not coming to my rescue that day."

A brow arched. "What are you talking about?"

"Take a seat, Mr. Grim Reaper. For reasons unknown, I can see the moon, and I tell you, it is the loveliest thing in this dying planet."

Not seeming to mind the cold surrounding them in the Tranquil Temple, Soma found himself complying to her request, despite knowing that they should be hurrying back to the Den to deposit the cores extracted just recently. "You loathe me, you were saying?"

Yuka struggled to place her head on his lap without the bother of standing or sitting up, and once she had, it was the first time since she came here that he had noticed the tinge of sadness present in her eyes looking up at him. "I was twelve... when Dad died." She sighed, averting her eyes from his. He had only heard of that from the recent conversations in the Den, and he knew of nothing else. The both of them lost their mothers in the Managarm Project, and they had lived their lives with their fathers. Soma barely remembered her father, but something told him he was a whole lot better than his own.

"We were out on field research when this Borg Camlann came out of nowhere. Of course, many of the other scientists died on the first swing of the tail, but the entire team was soon wiped out."

"Where was I that time?"

"Who knows? If I had the slightest idea, I wouldn't have hoped you'd come. I mean, Soma Schicksal had always been my biggest hero."

"Why didn't anybody tell me?"

She chuckled. "What's the point of telling you that a group of scientists was annihilated by a single Aragami and the lone survivor suffered severe trauma and paralysis after being trapped helplessly?" She was making light of this tragic story because it was painful. Too painful for her to bear. "Apparently, the Director sent me to a Fenrir hospital in the European branch. Why?" This time, she sat up from lying on his lap. "Maybe because he didn't want me getting in your way and you with mine."

Somehow, those words seemed to hide a deeper meaning within them.

"Being stuck in that ugly, lifeless room everyday was probably the worst nightmare in my life," she continued. "The doctors said I had it pretty bad, because the spinal cord was damaged. Chest down was stuck and immobile. They said I can't be a God Eater anymore, but I made them eat their words. Recovery took four years. The European Branch took me under their wing. Worked for them for three years. Promoted to Unit Captain. Lost my entire team on Hematite Rose. They gave me a break after the accident, and then, the transfer happened. Pretty much catches you up."

Soma's gaze followed her as she stood up and stretched. "I've never heard of someone who successfully recovered from a spinal cord injury."

Her bright smile beamed at him once more. "Have you forgotten that this young woman before you is also a product of the P73 Bias Factor? Probably not as effective as it is in you, but it doesn't really matter to me anymore. As long as I'm with Soma, I'd rather be thankful than complain about it."

He also rose from his seat, as it was about time to be heading home. "Says the whiner who was complaining about the confidentiality of these special missions," he snickered. The male worked on pulling something from one of the pockets of his jacket, and once he had caught her attention, he threw the little trinket, which she caught with ease. "It would be a shame to die the third time without having that back." Her eyes gleamed the same way the ring did under the light, as she, proud and happy, slipped it into her right ring finger. "And for the amount of time your rambling took, I'll place you in charge of writing the mission report."

"What? Why don't you do it? Or maybe you're only saying that but the truth is, I write a better report than someone who just scribbles  _'I charged crush the Aragami several times'_  on his paper."

Soma raised a brow. He had never felt so offended. That report was  **flawless, accurate and spot-on**. "You want to compete on who can write a better report?"

"Bring it on,  _liebling_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear the chapters grow longer as the story progresses. T _ T


	4. Requiem of Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Do you guys know Yuka-san has this really big teddy bear?" 
> 
> Yuka lifted her head a bit from the surface of the table. "Oh–That's not mine. That's Soma's–"

As usual, the First Unit showers morning liveliness into the Den.

"You guys are a bore," Kota complained, frowning at Sakuya and Lindow. "Last night was so much fun."

Alisa snorted at the fellow rookie's energy. She twirled strands of silvery white hair in an index finger. "Says the one who went bankrupt on Monopoly three times. Your game strategies clearly reflect your battle tactics; flashy, but not really too effective."

The orange-haired lad frowned at his comrade. "You've been picking on me since you came here. Dude, what is your problem?" The Russian gave a light 'hmph' and turned her shoulder, proceeding to their usual seat in the cafeteria, her own plate filled with the common rations served in the Den, including that oddly-sized corn.

Lenka looked satisfied with his own ration, and turned to their unit's veterans. "Where did you two go anyway?" He asked, sticking his fork in one of the corn grains on his plate and taking a bite of said food.

Lindow scratched his head and frowned. "Hibari betrayed me and I was made to see the Director. A tough day, if you ask me, so I went to Sakuya for a drink." The Vice Captain then proceeded to correct him that it was 'drinks' and complained that she never gets a payment for all the beer he guzzled up. The other ensured he will pay somehow, which Sakuya didn't seem to believe. "Yuka and Soma aren't here yet?" He then asked. "Too early to be dating, I'd say. Oh, speak of the devils."

"I heard you, Lindow," yelled the blonde in question, marching into the cafeteria with her arms crossed and chest puffed out. The rest of her teammates didn't fail to point out her morning bruises and gashes, and the patch of gauze on her left cheek. Her skin had red marks all over as well. Yuka placed herself at an empty seat in the table, and angrily pointed at Soma who trailed right behind her. "Don't.  **Ever**. Place him. In charge of training rookies." And afterwards, she collapsed on the table.

As usual, the male huffed and walked past the table, sitting instead on one of the empty bar stools. Nope, no dealing with her shit today too.

"The training must have been intense," the Russian remarked, going on with her breakfast. "But I'm certain the date was fun." Everyone else grinned and giggled, but the bone-tired blonde only groaned a  _'ficking hölle'_ against the material of the table. Yuka scowled at the Russian God Eater, "I'm going to put you in the battlefield with five Borg Camlanns running up to you like they're your fans. Then tell me what part of that was fun,  _Miststück_."

Karel Schneider of the Third Unit, seated by the bar counter, snickered and muttered, "Pretty harsh." Even Soma was not able to suppress his own smirk.

"W-wait. What was that supposed to mean?!" Alisa asked, alarmed by the fact that she has no idea what that word meant. "Don't simply go around speaking in various languages!" When she received no response except for Karel turning back to his drink, and Soma ignoring her with the usual sharp glare he always wear, she grew even more tensed, realizing that it could have meant a bad thing. "Yu-Yuka-san!" She turned to the rest of her team, but none seemed to grasp any idea either.

"Well, I recommend digging in," Lindow said, completely changing the subject. "We have a huge line up of missions today."

The conversation quickly returned to what it was prior to the pair's arrival. It looks like there is nothing that could ever stop their hyperactive teen from talking, which were a good thing when they need to liven up and a bad thing when they need him to shut up. "Do you guys know Yuka-san has this really big teddy bear?" Like it was the weirdest and coolest thing that he saw in his whole life.

Yuka lifted her head a bit from the surface of the table. "Oh–That's not mine. That's Soma's–"

There was the sound of a glass' base clashing against the wooden bar counter, and the First Unit started laughing so hard Lenka choked in his drink, Kota almost spat his own chocolate drink on Alisa's face and Lindow nearly fell off his own seat. Even Karel, who had been listening to the conversation, had not a single choice but to hide his growing smirk as he is currently the one in closest proximity to the man in question.

Check out who's screwed.

"You are."

Farewell, comfortable life.

"Stop- Stop- ah- dra-dragging me!" Why does Soma have to be the stronger one? Why does Soma have to be the taller one? Why does Soma have all the better qualities-?! "Do you plan to kill me?!" The grumpy man rashly threw her to the center of the training room — again — and nearly knocked her off her feet. "Is this about _Bär_ -chan? You're getting angry over a teddy bear?" She huffed, brows furrowing at him.

That seemed to only fuel up his anger, but as usual, Soma remained silent, even as the environment they were in started to change. The platform of metal flooring shifted to an image of bare and dry ground, the blowing wind carrying dust with it. Yuka found the two of them standing in a field littered with huge debris of crashed infrastructures. It was a mess God Eaters like them is used to seeing.

Obviously, he brought her into some training simulation again.

A thunderous roar resonated through the devastated area and lightning crackled not far away. In the midst of all the obstruction, two pairs of keen eyes caught sight of a flurry of cape-like appendages.  _A Vajra?_ She thought, the question momentarily clouding her mind.  _Not a Borg Camlann?_  The blonde whipped her head towards her silent companion, but Soma continued to wear that uninterested expression of his, staring into far distance.

"Just throw that thing away..." In that gruff voice, he then spoke. "It's useless."

**It's useless.**

* * *

"It's useless..."

A mind so young wouldn't be able to comprehend with one that had been through countless research, and a pair of round blue eyes could only stare up at the two grown men and the papers they held. "This doesn't change the fact that she's a hybrid of human and Aragami." The last word caught her entire attention. An... Aragami. She is... an Aragami.

Without a single sound, the little child, in a dress that barely went past her knees, climbed down from the cold comfort of that metal table she was lying on a while ago, carefully slipping past the two men and out into the hallway. Another pair of adults in lab coats stepped into the same area from another enclosed room, to which the young lass quickly brought herself in.

_"Useless..."_

_"It looks like her mother died for nothing."_

_"... a hybrid of human and Aragami..."_

Why was she given life in a world so unfair? At the age of seven, it was made clear to her that the world she was born in is dying, far from the sunshine and butterflies drawn in those old papers. It was slowly being swallowed by despair.

"I knew you'd be here. They have been looking everywhere for you."

The voice came all of a sudden that she jolted up in surprise, her head hitting the sturdy top of her hiding place. But not seeming to mind the pain, she scooted further into the confined space to give the other some room to get in, one hand holding onto her little stuffed companion while the other gently rubbed on her head to at least ease its aching. "You're not with _Bär_ -chan?" She asked.

The boy comfortably sat by her side. " _Bär_ -chan is too big. He wouldn't fit here and they will easily find us." She smiled, knowing how true it was. After all, that teddy bear was about their size, and their " _secret spot_ " would need a bigger space to accommodate him. Her eyes fell over to the red and black rings on his wrist, and her smile instantly faded.

"This place sucks," he then said.

"Did you try to run away again?" It was probably the fifth time this month that he had made another attempt. "Soma shouldn't be doing that anymore. You might run into that huge kitty again. Do you really like them that much?"

He didn't. He just wanted all these to end. There's no way he'd wish to continue being his father's guinea pig or lab rat. He would rather die than go on with this. "Yuka..." Soma shifted his attention towards the girl by his side, who had busied herself smoothing out the golden brown fur of her teddy bear. Once he had gained her attention again...

"Don't ever become a God Eater."

* * *

The supposed training had become a wrestling match — a feat of strength and the time to vent out everything.

"I told you, didn't I?" Soma asked the one beneath him, his voice slightly louder than its usual tone and having a hint of anger on it. "We're not kids anymore! We never became kids from the start!" They were deprived of the childhood they should have had... and they had to learn and accept everything thrown upon them.

Yuka struggled against his grip, snarling back at her partner hovering above. "That's it? You threw away your childhood just because it's pathetic and this world is hopeless?! What the hell, Soma?!" Blue eyes glared up at Soma, growing misty with tears. " **I**  should be the one complaining about  **my**  life! I should be the one hating the world, this work, the Aragamis, Fenrir – everything! You're not the one who's... who's..."

It was the first time he'd seen her break into real tears after so long.

"...struggling from inside. You're not the one who's dying!" With that, Yuka forcefully ripped herself away from his hold, elbowing him on the chest and pushing him back. In the midst of sniffing and sobbing, the girl forced herself back on her feet, and picked up the forgotten God Arc, before leaving the training room.

* * *

After that, none of them had spoken a word to each other for the entire day, even during the assignments for today. Lindow was as sharp as ever, but decided not to question anything, which Yuka was thankful for. Despite the tension up in the air, the First Unit carried out their missions perfectly well, and guess who's having a drinking party later tonight?

Not her.

"What could Dr. Sakaki need from me right now?" She was still holding onto a glass full of beer when she stepped into the laboratory, greeted by said man in front of his computer. Things seemed like they were to spiral downwards even further, as the scientist appeared to not be in his usual jolly mood. A folder seated silently atop his desk, and Yuka could clearly see her name written on it, because she's not drunk yet and it really is.  _Definitely bad_ , she thought.  _Not to mention he looks very troubled._

Before silence could take over the current situation, the older man spoke up, "Yuka, do you feel anything weird as of late?" He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and then retreated his hands behind him while keeping his gaze at the (obviously) unsettled God Eater before him.

She thought she was faking her courage nicely. "Apart from Soma being a total douche, I'd have nothing to say. Is there something I should know about, Doctor?"

"You tell me." He then gestured at the folder from earlier, which she took with utmost care, gently flipping the cover open. Her eyes immediately widened in shock, and the compiled papers nearly fell off her hold. "Do you realize what exactly are you looking at right now?"

 _Shit's really about to go down, huh?_  "Of course," she finally answered, after a small pause. "But I was born a half Aragami. Having an amount of Oracle Cells different from the other God Eaters is normal. It's pretty much the same thing as Soma's case."

Instead of being satisfied with the answer she had given, Paylor appeared to become even more troubled. "Have you ever seen your past records?" He received a meek 'no', prompting the girl to flip through a few more pages, where her medical results from last week were. Her eyes narrowed, avoiding the Stargazer's. "You knew about this, didn't you? And you also know the dangers this poses. Isn't that right?"

"Even before I moved here," she admitted. "But as I see, the P73 Bias Factor, or whatever is causing this, has not backfired to me yet, so there would be nothing to stop me from keeping my status as a God Eater and wielding that prototype God Arc." She eyed the papers that presented the unusual growth of Oracle Cells in her body. It was normal, for a human-Aragami hybrid to show no signs of side effect even with this significantly large amount of Oracle Cells. But Yuka was sure, and Paylor assumes, that there is something else to it.

When the room became filled with dead air, Dr. Sakaki decided to open up another related topic. "In regards to your God Arc, the training simulations from earlier were according to my requests. And based from the results of those simulations—"

"— Soma is an  _arschloch_."

Paylor coughed. "Well, I wouldn't deny that it is true in some cases, but that is not it. The prototype God Arcs were unstable in terms of their Oracle Cell composition, and yours is no different. Its rate of vacillation increases the more it is used, and once it devours too much of foreign cells, like a core for example, and fails to release it, it seems to transfer those cells it couldn't handle to whatever it resonates with."

"And because the other God Eaters were unable to contain those 'transferred' cells, they all ended up being devoured."

The doctor's face seemed to lighten up. "Most likely. Which is why I recommend you stay away from heavy and dangerous missions, especially when you're on your own. Of course until we made further studies of the God Arc and what kind of actual danger it possesses."

_Huh, make me._

With all of those settled between them, Yuka managed to heave a sigh of relief and finish the beer she had left there for long. She then gave the professor a curt nod, that nerving smile of his present on his face. "Also," he called out before said God Eater could disappear from his sight. "Johan appeared  **very**  interested with those results. It makes me wonder why..."

"I... I wish I have an idea."

"It is important that you have."

* * *

The silence easily gave away the sound of the door opening and footsteps marching into the room. Yuka huffed but never whipped her head away from the sight of Aegis, instead watching the other from the corner of her blue eyes.

"Oi," she called with a frown. "That one is mine. Yours is the bigger one."

"TCH."

With the huge bear on his arms, Soma stomped out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The universe of God Eater isn't exactly rainbows and sunshine. :')
> 
> Yes, hello, I'm a God Eater trash.


	5. The Shadows of My Doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's dead..." She said, monotone voice barely going beyond a whisper.
> 
> "Kitty's dead..."
> 
> Yuka Ichinose, just who exactly are you?

Dealing with Alisa always looking down on him from her tall ivory tower was actually nothing in comparison to the current situation Kota found himself trapped in — being caught in between two clashing mountains. At this point, the orange-haired lad was wishing he had whatever skill Lindow used to calmly and peacefully deal with these two veterans, whereas Kota would always feel like there's a knife on his throat whenever he would try to at least talk to them.

As usual, Soma refused to waste even only a few drops of saliva to lighten the growing tension, and Yuka decided that out of all the possible days, today would be the one where she really wouldn't tolerate Soma, or anything else for that matter. She was unusually silent, often caught dazed and staring blankly at space, if not glaring angrily at her childhood friend. Man, after Kota thought this would be his rare chance to pull tricks on Soma and have Yuka's support. It doesn't look like Lenka cares about this kind of set-up too.

Finally arriving on the location stated in their current assignment, the blonde wrinkled her nose and turned to the pair of younger God Eaters. "Alright. Let's split up and search for the Fallen Ogretails and Gboro-gboros."

Kota's face lightened up. He didn't have to deal with this! "Lenka, how about we—"

"Let's go, Lenka-kun. Kota, you have your radio, don't you?" Yuka asked, her eyes obviously avoiding Soma who was standing behind the boy in question. Kota nodded meekly, and watched as the other pair simply waved him off. "You're definitely going to need it."

Why does he always end up with Soma anyway? This guy never bothers to talk! The teenager frowned at the male who started to go his own way, onto the opposite direction. "Oi, Soma. How long do you and Yuka plan to keep ignoring each other?" He asked, shoulders slumped down a tad bit. "It's pretty hard on us too, you know." Welcome to the super awesome Kota's monologue.

Truth be told, none of them has any idea what happened after Soma carted Yuka out of the cafeteria. They all continued eating in silence, as all had accepted such scenes might be something they'd have to get used to from now on. But when the two returned for the assignments they had, Soma and Yuka looked like they wanted to rip each other's heads off, and no one had seen them talk to each other after that. Lindow would just shrug, Sakuya would shake her head, Lenka would keep silent, and Alisa will say it is really none of her business. Everyone else seems to just roll along with it.

With Soma's refusal to engage in any more conversations, Kota sighed, and instead tried his best to be vigilant, always looking left and right for anything that might come jump on them.

_"... If you will keep that act up, then you're not the Soma I knew..."_

Soma clicked his tongue as the words crossed his mind once again. He shouldn't even be bothered by it. How she wishes to live her life is none of his business. Soma grunted to himself, frustrated by the fact that he was actually distracted by those kinds of thoughts.

"Oi, Soma! Watch out!" 

Shots were fired.  

If Soma hadn't been into this job for six years, he honestly would be crawling on the ground right now, as the consecutive ice missiles of the Gboro-gboro went straight towards him. Even his Tower Shield was not completely able to stand against such surprising force, pushing the wielder a few inches back at every attack deflected. "We got some fish here!" He heard Kota yell at his radio.

"Uhh... yeah!" Came that familiar voice from the other side. "You're not the only one— We'll be there in..." Gunshots. "... a few minutes!" 

Soma snorted, dashing towards the amphibian Aragami and crushing its fins. Kota was firing a barrage of spark piercing bullets at said monster's back fin. The white-haired lad swung his blade around, sending a Fallen Ogretail down on the ground. He sprinted towards another one, forcing it down with a second forceful smash before it could spring up on him. The smaller Aragamis are easier targets to finish off with two or three more heavy blows, if Soma need not to keep in mind that a Gboro-gboro behind could back strike him with melee or ranged attacks. "Dammit!" He cursed, barely being able to dodge one of the Ogretail's spring attacks, stumbling down to the ground. The Aragamis marched towards him, fangs bared. He cursed once again, holding onto his weapon.

Continuous shots of spark bullets right on the Ogretails' skulls shifted their attention towards the orange-haired lad firing from an elevated ground, and Soma took it as a chance to finish them off with another swing of his heavy blade. Blood splattered to all directions and even stained the very blade of his weapon, the Aragamis' mutilated bodies lying on the ground and awaiting decomposition.

That kid wasn't that bad after all, huh?

"Uh... A little help   here?" Kota called out, now running for dear life as the Gboro-gboro spammed him with consecutive ice missiles. And this is why Fenrir should work on installing shields for gun-users. Soma hurriedly dashed towards the enraged Aragami, avoiding its thrash attacks and leaping off to strike it from above. The last action caused it to stagger and briefly forget about its two assailants to recover health.

Kota and Soma wasted no time in following it, the former firing a series of mortar bullets on the back fin that had been unbound sometime earlier. The latter sprinted forward while the Aragami was busy, breaking off the Oracle Cells on its torso. The fangs followed not long after with a discharge of laser bullets.

As the shower of attacks placed the Gboro-gboro on a downed state, Soma held back his own blade, enveloping it in a glow of blood red and purple, and afterwards clobbered the fallen Aragami with his Charge Crush.

Right after he had devoured the core of the Aragami, Lenka radioed him in. "Soma-san, we have a problem!"

* * *

Really now...

"You mean she just ran off and chased it?!" Kota was asking in disbelief.

Lenka was wearing a miffed expression, looking left and right as they scouted the area for any sign of the female God Eater. "This Aragami passed by the area all of a sudden." He knew of course that they shouldn't bother about Aragamis not part of their assignments, unless they become a hindrance. "It didn't seem to notice us, so we just watched it as it went by. And then she just... went after it." He brought his gaze to Soma upon hearing him ask of what kind of Aragami was it. "Certainly a variant of a Sariel, but its body is grey and purple instead."

"An Aether," Soma then replied, and remained silent after that.

"But if you think about it... Yuka's been acting pretty weird since the last few days, hasn't she?" Came another one of Kota's questions. "As if she isn't herself at all."

Hibari had confirmed Yuka's location was already out of Sunken Grid's map, but transmitting the data of her exact whereabouts deem to be a little too difficult. They would have to rustle up nearby areas and hope that she hasn't gone too far to attract an even bigger trouble. It wasn't helping that crazy possible outcomes had been running wild in Soma's head, drawing him closer and closer to the feeling of complete annoyance and worry. "If something bad happens, I swear I'll smack your head with reminders as many times as it takes to ingrain them on your head," he was mumbling through gritted teeth.

"Soma, wait a sec!" Kota called out to him in between tired breaths. But the voice was faint in his ears, drowned out by the older lad's own thoughts and the growing shower of rain. "Oi-"

At that he snapped at the whiny teenager, "If you have the damn strength to complain, then use it to catch up." He hadn't realized he picked up his pace and the two were trailing a bit far from him. The rain seemed to be growing stronger as well, turning the ground muddy and wet beneath their feet.

They really haven't talked over the past days... and she went from annoyingly noisy to unusually quiet. She had been into Old Man Sakaki's office often, which he sometimes finds himself questioning, considering that he was the only one knowledgeable of what happened in eighteen years. It's not that Soma never noticed. He simple pretends as if he really did not. It was much better that way, anyway.

"S-Soma-san..."

"What the..."

A distant memory flashed right before his eyes.

He had always pictured himself in that kind of view — standing in the middle of a room littered by pools of fresh blood. Broken equipment would be everywhere, and corpses clad in white coats drenched in their own blood would lie around him. It was a picture that brings back the worst memories of his childhood.

But the scene in front of him right now was different, for it wasn't the monster in him who stood there, but Yuka, bathing in the heavy downpour. Knightfall, her God Arc, lied right on her feet, every drop of rain washing away the red fluid it was covered in. Her hands and arms were stained as well, and it was obvious that the blood was still fresh, as it continued to drip down to the ground, creating small red clouds on the muddy water.

And that wasn't even the strangest part.

The Aether Lenka told them about had been eliminated, its body decomposing as orange particles of Oracle Cells ascended from it. Body was torn in half, appendages all over the place. The torso appeared to have been separated from the skirt with a powerful crushing blow, but the arms and legs seemed to have been completely ripped apart. Not a clean slice... but completely ripped from the rest of the body. Somewhere at the back of his head, Soma heard Kota say something about him throwing up at the sight.

Really, it was disgusting.

"It's dead..." She said, monotone voice barely going beyond a whisper.

_"Kitty's dead..."_

No one asked a question. Kota and Lenka exchanged puzzled and troubled looks. With any possible threat disregarded, Soma shouldered his buster blade and strode forward, holding onto her arm. "Yuka...  _Lassen Sie uns nach Hause gehen._ "

Her eyes stared blankly at the ground, their usual shine nowhere to be found. " _Zuhause_?" She then glowered at the severed limbs of the Aragami, picked up her God Arc and turned to him again. "Alright."

"Did you... uh, get its core?" Kota asked, confusion still evident in his face. "Pretty sure they'd pay you extra for that one."

Yuka didn't even bother to look at him, or anybody, in the eye on their way home. "Core...? What core?" It was as if she was grasping any idea of said object.

Soma grumbled, glaring daggers at the inquisitive boy. "Don't ask questions. You wouldn't get anything."

* * *

_It's a condition we can't find any way to control," the man looked down at him with a sad, pained smile on his tired face, tears forming on the corner of his deep blue eyes. "... Would it be alright if I ask you to look after her?"_

Soma thought he had pushed that memory at the back of his head, along with those others he was desperately trying to forget — those that wake him up in the middle of the night. He didn't see it first hand, but as it came back to him earlier, a real shiver shot up his spine.

An Aether wasn't even a big thing, because the very image of that mutilated  _'kitty'_  still is in his head.

She sat on his bed, holding _Bär_ -chan like he was the only thing that mattered in the world. Her eyes gave him empty gazes before shifting at the fabric of the blanket covering her lap. No, she's not mentally unstable. He had been told that many times before. It's not any kind of trauma hitting her either, but something much more complicated.

"Why did you chase that Aether? Something bad could have happened to you," he said with a frown, arms crossed over his chest. "If it is extra Fenrir credits that you want or materials for upgrade, then—"

" _Es war hungrig ... und wollte zu essen_." How she could answer with a straight face, it still baffles him to no end.

His lips pulled back to a snarl. "What-?"

" _Es war hung_ —"

"I heard you!"

"Then why do you have to ask again?" This time, she pouted, hugging the teddy bear even closer. "Soma is annoying." She fell back on the bed, and pulled up the blanket, silence filling up the room afterwards.

 _A condition that can't be controlled?_ He thought. Perhaps Old Man Sakaki knows even only a bit. Any amount of information would suffice, really, but he doubt said man would leak out the details he wishes to acquire if Yuka herself would not confide to him. It was troublesome, to worry so much about this. After all, between the two of them... she is more human.

Could this really stem from the P73 Bias Factor? Or is it something he has yet to know about her?

" _Ich werde auf jeden Fall ... aussehen, nachdem Sie_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't speak German and I'm certain the words here are inaccurately translated. T _ T If someone could correct them, I'd gladly edit the chapters. xD


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You mean my self-produced Bias Factor fails to keep up with the inconsistency of my Oracle Cell's bias inclination?" 
> 
> Yuka Ichinose plungers herself into a nightmare.

"... You know, sooner or later, they will find out."

Yuka couldn't help but chew on her bottom lip as she stared down at the papers on her hands. Although nothing peculiar has happened as of late, the recent results clearly screamed something was wrong and she should be alarmed by it. Truth is, she is, but there is no backing down now. Especially not in the situation she is in. "It appears that the cells have shown slight activity, and once again increased in number. If this continues... well, surely, it wouldn't bode well." Sakaki continued to watch the same results being flashed by his computer monitor, typing in a few datas here and there. "If this goes on..." The lump of orange circles shown by the screen began to gather more and more of them, and continued to grow bigger the more Sakaki continued to input data. This time, the screen showed a silhouette of human body. A small patch of orange was present at its wrist, slowly beginning to fill in the said silhouette until not a single space had been left. He then turned to her. "... I'm afraid you might end up like the rest of the prototype-wielders."

The blonde raised a brow. "You mean my self-produced Bias Factor fails to keep up with the inconsistency of my Oracle Cell's bias inclination?" This is what she considered an edge in her line of work. As human-Aragami hybrids born with the P73 BF, she and Soma need not any manual injection of the Bias Factor unlike other God Eaters, as they are fully capable of creating their own. And knowing this thing all of a sudden baffles her. It seems she is not too knowledgeable of the greater dangers of the bias, unlike both of her parents. And this is despite all the research materials they had left behind.

Sakaki pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and answered, "Cutting off the lengthy explanation, yes, as it appears so. But it may not only be the Bias Factor and the Oracle Cells, as there would at times be external influencing factor..." The doctor's lips pursed to a straight line, and he went silent for a few moments, as though mauling over some of his own thoughts. "... Like in the environment... or anything you take in."

"I fight in the same battlefields everyone does, and live in the same place my teammates do. My rations are similar to theirs. How come this is happening to just me then? It is still the same when I was in Europe." This only adds more to the confusion. She thought it was going alright, especially even with the continuous cell growth.

The screen then resumed to display the results of the recent diagnosis. "Also, I should tell you, that you should not do it again. Chasing large Aragamis all by yourself and engaging in difficult battles all alone. Lenka confirmed that the Aether's core was not present anymore, and Hibari assured me that no such thing had been deposited." His gaze shifted to her once more.

Yuka pouted. "I didn't do anything. Maybe the core got destroyed while I was... working on it, so Lenka-kun was not able to retrieve a whole core."

"And one last thing..." This time, he was wearing that playful smirk once again, as he looked at the younger female, chin resting on the back of his hand. "Soma may not look like it, but he is genuinely worried about you." A faint rosy color spread across her cheeks, which she tried to hide by crossing her arms and scoffing off the doctor's statement. "If you plan to keep this a secret from him, you should do a better job."

"Okay, so I just gotta not suck; which is hard, considering exactly who I am," she grumbled. "I even get supplementary training sessions!"

The other chuckled. "Maybe that's his way of looking after you?"

"Then I'd rather have him not do that."

"Soma, however, doesn't look like one to break promises. That is despite the fact that he thinks he stands above the rules."

* * *

There was nothing more relieving than knowing that her teammates trust her enough to confide even the littlest things to her. Honestly, with Lindow and Sakuya being all-time superiors, and Soma constantly placing her in line with their rookies, Yuka couldn't find herself befitting the role of the senior towards Lenka, Alisa and Kota. "Stay on your toes," that gruff voice rang through her earpiece, as she desperately tried not to lose her balance while the ground continued to tremble beneath her.

"Easy for you to say," she hissed, glaring up at the observation room. "I'd love to see you try it." Yuka could clearly visualize his eyes narrowing down at her, angry huffs of breath escaping his lips.  _Way of looking after me, my ass!_  She thought.

Soma's voice once again registered in her head. "Rather than imagining how I am looking down at your horrible performance—"

" _Halt die Klappe, arschloch_!" She yelled, smashing her blade against the bare ground and sending the wave of Charge Crush towards the huge Aragami thundering towards her. The Borg Camlann backed away with a sharp, shrill shriek, its mouth opening to reveal its set of small teeth. Yuka made a quick roll to the side, barely avoiding the enemy's counter with a salvo of needles fired at her. "Do you even realize what you're putting me in?!"

At least she has returned to normal, and he prefers her that way, rather than staying silent most of the time. "A Borg Camlann's attacks are pretty predictable, so you shouldn't even be having any problem to begin with," he began. "Most of the time, it would brandish its shield together before it releases an attack, so use that chance to deploy your shield or run."

"Thank you, Mr. Walking NORN," she scowled, and he watched her strike the downed Aragami's legs with another crushing attack. "But I'd appreciate it more if you just shut the fuck up." The white-haired lad only snorted, and pressed a few buttons on the controller. It was such a delight to hear her shriek in surprise over the earpiece he wears, that he simply pulled up a smirk, amused.

Her series of hateful names she was calling him had been cut off with a pained hiss, the Spark Vajratail's attack interrupting her Charge Crush. "The Borg Camlann is weak to spark, use it to your advantage,  _Blödmann_."

"I know that!" She barked, summoning the Predator Form and working on what exactly he had said. "Who are you to call me a dumbass?!"  _Thunder Hammer_ , was what was indicated on her Blast Gun upon switching.

"Assault Corporal Soma Schicksal," he retorted. It was a wonder to him, how Yuka could argue with him in the middle of the battle while keeping her attention on both the Vajratails and the Borg Camlann. Nevertheless, it was an entertaining sight to see. "Keep that in mind, Assault Private Yuka Ichinose."

For the first time in her life, she would bravely declare that she needs a break from Soma.

Lenka stifled a laugh upon hearing that, to which the older female frowned as she continued with her stretching exercises. "I'd say you really do," he added. Although the other's unusual actions in their last mission together nearly brought them to long lecture hours with Major Amamiya, Lenka actually doesn't mind listening to her venting out her frustrations. It makes her much more normal than the senior he was with days ago. "You need a breathing room in my opinion, Yuka-san."

He wasn't certain if he had said something wrong, that she locked eyes with him for a moment, before pulling her gaze back and hurriedly standing up. "Ah- It would probably be best to get going now. They might just be Cocoon Maidens, but that doesn't mean we could waste time chatting around, yes?"

"Yeah..." The younger answered, picking up his God Arc.

Yuka made a grab for her own weapon, but as soon as she had a firm grip of it, a shock ran through her entire body that she ended up dropping it the very next second. "Everything alright?" asked Lenka. The blonde caught herself intensely staring at her fallen God Arc, only to be pulled back to reality by her companion tapping her shoulder and repeating the question.

"Yes..." Her shaky answer then came. "Of course."

The mission required extermination of four Cocoon Maidens in the area. Honestly, it was less of a work than the horrible training practice Soma forces on her, and it would have been if this sudden woozy feeling did not come up from whatever pit of hell it came from. Thanks to it, she nearly suffered getting punctured twice (or thrice, probably) by those long needles.

It wasn't helping that her arms seemed to ache at every swing of the corpulent Buster Blade, and every part of her system somewhat refuses to cooperate properly. Perhaps too tired of all the training? All these missions? Yuka laughed internally at the thought. That can't be, of course. How silly. She tore through the second Cocoon Maiden's shell covering, and made way smashing her blade against the third.

Somehow, they managed to finish this one in a short amount of time, even with the small group of Ogretails that sprout out of nowhere, and with her head spinning slightly. "I feel like I'm going to throw up," she groaned out, climbing onto the passenger's seat while the younger God Eater sat behind the wheel. "If you go reckless driving, I'd shamelessly puke on you."

The other only smiled in amusement.

* * *

Johannes von Schicksal, a pleased and satisfied smirk worn grazing his face, kept his eyes locked on his computer screen, as it displayed footage of the recent events in the training room. Things surely are taking a truly wonderful turn, just as how he hoped everything to be. If this continues, it should not be long until Aegis reaches completion, and mankind attains its freedom from the Aragamis.

His eyes shifted towards the lone glass souvenir seated atop his desk, clear on all sides that he could see the item frozen inside. His satisfaction did not even falter, just like the little iris flower encased by the souvenir. Afterwards, he turned to the finely framed photograph on his desk, once again refreshing his memories of his colleagues from years back. Including, of course, Aisha, his wife.

"Hope..." He then said, his lips now pursed to a straight line. "I believe I have quite a number of things that I should apologize for to the two of you..." The director began. "But to let the hope both Aisha and Monika died for go to waste is something I could not let happen. Between the two of us, you knew better, but who could have thought that it was actually possible? To create our very own and surpass the violent gods ruling the world? In the end, you are wrong, Eito."

The footage he was watching finally came to a stop, and with a few buttons a pressed, a file popped up. "... It is a Singularity that this world needs, and what it shall receive."

**IRIS** , the document said, a fleur-de-lis sitting on the top center of the document itself. "The Oracle Cells know no limits, like the powers held by a true god." He scrolled down to the very last text, and his fingers set to work. 

> _The serum had proven itself effective over the years, and IRIS is only a few steps away from its completion. Side effects and symptoms are yet to appear with the project progressing positively._

"As Monika would always say, 'It is of great importance to hold a backup plan,' and I would say she is right. Behind the great despair humanity is in, the flower of hope silently sits."

* * *

"Drink up."

"Try having a bit of rest."

"Coffee, maybe...?"

"I heard massaging with lavender oil is effective."

"A quick cold shower?" 

She greatly appreciates her team's concern (apart from Soma who said it was the entire headache she'd been giving him backfiring at her) but none of those methods were really effective for her. She already drank eight glasses of water, took a short nap, had two cups of coffee regardless of how damn hot it is, and even tried that lavender oil massage as Alisa had suggested. Even drenching herself under a shower of cold water didn't even do her any good. Not in the slightest.

Drying golden blonde locks with the bath towel while seated in front of the mirror, it was then that she noticed a slight discoloration of her skin. Just below her left shoulder, a portion of her chest appeared in a reddish purple color, surrounded by a faint yellowish tone. "Did I... hit myself on something?" She mindlessly mumbled, feeling the said area with her fingertips. It didn't hurt, so it was quite impossible to be a bruise even though it looks like one. "Cool. Got a galaxy on my chest and I have no idea where the hell did it even came from."

And the throbbing headache is still there too.

"What is this even...?"


	7. Mission Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well, congratulations, Soma! In contrast to what I assume you think, Yuka's not pregnant of your child."
> 
> Well, the first date doesn't go as smoothly as they thought it would be.

The sick feeling that makes her stomach churn still hadn't disappeared. If anything, it grew worse every day that passed. Her head felt like it was being torn open, and the tightness in her chest is really making her puke. "You look pale," noted Hibari. "You should see Dr. Sakaki first if you feel ill." Oh no. She had enough of seeing said man, and receiving bad news at every result. The confusing details of the growing cell number are one of the things she still hasn't gotten over yet. The operator's dark brown eyes studied the other in worry, as it looked like every color had just been drained from the God Eater's face.

"I'm fine..." She managed somehow, avoiding the other's eyes and instead shifting her focus at the screen listing down the missions free for taking. One of them included extracting the cores of two large Aragamis found in a wasteland. She failed to realize that she was eyeing the said article long enough to catch the operator's attention. "Uhm," she began. "It appears Major Amamiya already has a team assigned for the mission." The other lifted her head, lips rounded to a rather disappointed 'oh'. "Ah, but it seems that there is a special assignment assigned for you and Soma, and the Director wishes to discuss the details with the two of you." The blonde simply nodded. Lately, there had been an awful lot of those special assignments that she could say she has gotten use to them, and their level of difficulty is quite different from the regular ones. On another note, the exact reasons behind these unique jobs are still a mystery to her. Neither Tsubaki nor Hibari has governance over them. The Director even mentioned once a certain core to watch out on, but the details were simply scarce, if nonexistent.

"Just recently," Johannes began. "... I received reports of strange Aragamis sighted in different areas." Soma scoffed, seated with his arms crossed over his chest and head low. As if Aragamis alone aren't a strange thing already... There are those that had adapted to different factors, and are thus referred as Fallen variants. Some even evolved to a completely new species. "By strange, it means they possess aberrant qualities that set them apart from the norm."

"Where could they possibly come from?" Yuka asked. "Mutation? Evolution?"

"A  _failed_  science experiment?" The white-haired lad scoffed, yet again.

Johannes silently eyed the direction where his son had been sitting, before breaking his gaze and turning away from the pair of God Eaters. "The details are... classified, I'm afraid. But a unique Aragami might as well mean a unique core, isn't that right?" What is this talk about this unique core anyway? The Director never explains this kind of things straight to the point. What exactly is it that he wants?

Those thoughts continued to cloud her head that she didn't realize Soma, who was already steps ahead towards the elevator, came to an abrupt stop right on her path. This led to her bumping against him and the recoil causing her to take a few light steps back. "What's wrong with you?" He asked, arching a brow. They had not been into any training practice the past days so she can't reason out and blame him. "If you are feeling lightheaded, then don't bother coming along. You will just end up doubling my workload."

Yuka glared up at him, which wasn't too convincing with her dead-tired blue eyes and unusual pale complexion. "Well, you don't have to worry about me," she said. "I can lift my own ass." A huff slipped her dried lips and Soma could only watch as she went ahead of him.

It only took ten quick seconds for his fuse to blow up, scooped her in one smooth and swift movement, over to his shoulder while he held her kicking legs together. "Put me down!" She yelled. "Do I look like a sack of grain to you?!"

"More like ten sacks,  _mein_ _schnucki_."

"Why you—" He wasn't sure what held her from showering him with a barrage of flowery words, but that's perfectly fine. She laid flat on his back, completely silent. Smirking triumphantly to himself, he marched to Sakaki's office with his literal baggage. The old man looked at him in pure confusion as he propped Yuka down on the couch inside the room, her face so blue with a hand clamped over her mouth. Her blue eyes glared up at him as threatening as they could, as he was certain she was feeling worse than earlier.

Not long after he was prodded out of the room, Yuka stepped out with Old Man Sakaki behind, and their faces wore equal grim expressions. The female kept her head low as she walked past, while the older male was quick to mask the gloom in his face with his usual odd smile. "Well, congratulations, Soma!" He beamed. The younger lad knitted his brow in confusion. "In contrast to what I assume you think, Yuka's not pregnant of your child."

Soma growled. "What the fuck?"

The Stargazer gave a hearty laugh at the reaction he received. "All in all, she's fine, and I already provided medicine she should take. Though, I recommend that you stay away from driving recklessly if you don't want puke on the jeep you will be using." He proceeded to give him a light pat on the shoulder with another hearty chuckle.

* * *

"I told you, you shouldn't have come," he glowered at her, though he kept his eyes on the road, and his hands on the wheel. It wasn't because she is sure to be a burden to him when this 'sickness' of her keeps up, but the truth is, he doesn't want anyone else to get into danger under his supervision. That would only be adding another name on his list.

Much to his surprise, no kind of retort came from her lips. The entirety of the trip was brought to silence, with only the sound of the engine being the noise they were hearing. The travel took quite a distance from home, before they arrived at the location indicated by the mission details. As usual, it was barren ground, completely abandoned and was in total ruins. He could clearly hear footsteps in a nearby area, but it probably belongs to an Aragami with poor hearing, as it didn't seem to hear the sound of the engine dying out. The pair of God Eaters climbed down from the vehicle, and proceeded to scout.

Bipedal. Winged. Huge fists.

He didn't need a degree in Aragami study to determine that they were sent to a "special" mission to eradicate a Chi-you. A single fucking Chi-you that could easily be finished by some other God Eaters. "You can stand straight?" He whipped his head over to his companion, and fucking hell, he'd never seen someone so pallid. "Go back to the jeep."

"I'm fine," she growled at him, lifting her God Arc and allowing it to switch to its gun form. "Not going to repeat myself."

_As stubborn as always._

This certain Chi-you they were made to deal with was much more agile and evasive than the ordinary ones he had dealt with in the past. Its attacks are also significantly stronger in comparison to the others. As the Aragami swooped down on them, Yuka released the first Explosive Torpedo on the air. The three orbs floated right on the Chi-you's path, and, it being in its momentum of flight, was not able to pull back, making contact with the orbs and initiating a huge explosion. The avian landed on the ground, using its fists to support itself.

Soma sprinted upwards, the jagged teeth of his blade smashing against the Chi-you's upper body. He then kicked himself away from the enemy through its chest, as a Bomb Ball zoomed in towards the Aragami, enveloping it in a cloud of smoke. It was followed by five more shots of said Aragami bullet, giving no room for recovery while the dark-skinned God Eater prepared for a Charge Crush.

It wasn't only that its attacks are stronger, but the Chi-you's defenses also appeared to have been heightened. If it wasn't the case, the body should have been unbound by now and this would not take long.  _It must really be a failed science experiment then_ , he thought. "Bullshit."

He steered clear from the spinning attack, watching as Yuka's predator ripped a portion of the monster's right wing and converted it to another set of Aragami bullets. She then proceeded to unleash another salvo of Bomb Multiballs to keep the enemy busy. Soma's second Charge Crush was almost ready, but the Chi-you found a chance to quickly condense energy in its fists and counter them with a pair of homing explosives. The attack swept both God Eaters off their feet in a flash, and as he was about to stand up, he caught sight of the Aragami rapidly gliding to his direction.

Another explosion blasted him off the ground away from the avian's attention. Yuka threw in the first of the only four stun grenades she carried, and smashed her blade against the Aragami's head. It let out a pained howl. However, the impact only left the head disfigured, not completely destroyed. The blonde was easily swatted away by a swift swing of the Chi-you's large wing, the metal-like plates stitched on its limbs tearing through her skin like tissue paper.

She landed on the ground with blood dripping from two large wounds on her arms. It stung, it really did, and her arms were being painted with her own blood. "Sweet," she grumbled, forcing herself to stand.

It was beginning to get annoying. The exhausted feeling from earlier had been masked by this sudden, unknown, and growing hunger, but was beginning to surface once more as they struck the Aragami with continuous crushing blows. Soma cursed and Yuka tried catching her breath. "Tear through its body and grab the core," he finally said.

She threw the second stun grenade.

They exchanged turns in ripping apart the Aragami's body to expose its core, a round mass of Oracle Cells that serves as its heart and brain. They both had fought many of this kind in their line of work, so determining their exact target was not too difficult. At times, Yuka would fire more Aragami bullets straight at the chest, covering for Soma until the Charge Crush is ready.

It wasn't helping that the Chi-you's enraged state makes it an even more difficult opponent, its speed further heightened, allowing quicker attacks. Yuka was still bleeding, though not as severe as earlier. Soma had his share of pain as well, occasionally losing his focus and getting wrecked by a barrage of explosives.

Their hard work sure was paying off though. Unbinding the wings deprived the Aragami of its ability to fly, which was pretty convenient. The head had been completely disfigured as well, and the torso is almost there as well. Although, the way they try to shred the torso to pieces to expose the core somewhat reminded Soma of the Aether scene days back. The coreless, mutilated Aether they found. The one that still baffles him every night he thinks about it.

"SOMA! DO IT!" She yelled.

Snapping out of his trance, Soma hurriedly summoned the predator form of his own God Arc, sending it straight towards the Chi-you's torso. It clamped its fangs together right where he had wanted, with a loud crunching sound that would haunt Kota surely every time he eats his chips. The predator returned, and the core of Soma's God Arc burned in an orange color. "We're done here," he told his companion, who was more or less bathing in her own blood. She even had some trickling down from her forehead. Yuka was really in no best shape to engage in any more fights. The tired look on her face had returned.

Out of character as it may seem, he offered to assist her back to the jeep.

They hadn't made it far yet when the ground began to rattle beneath their feet. "An earthquake...?" Certainly does not look like one.

"Let's hurry," he told her.

The pair of God Eaters nearly lost their balance, as the ground shook terribly at the impact of four Kongous suddenly appearing in the area. Yuka broke away from the other's hold, momentarily using her own God Arc to support herself while Soma held up his own. That sudden hunger boiling at the pit of her stomach had come up once again, for unknown reasons, kicking her adrenaline to work and forcing her body to function that it felt like she was being driven to insanity. "I feel like crap," she said, spitting blood.

Soma looked like he was not going to take shit. "Find cover." But Yuka, being the stubborn girl she is, raised her own weapon, digesting in a couple of Restore Pills and probably some of the medicine Sakaki had provided. "You never know when to listen," he added.

* * *

It was an ambush. Soma had no idea where hellhole these Kongous came from, but they sure had an above outstanding hearing to have heard them battling that Chi-you, which, if he may note, still hadn't started decomposing. Having to deal with one or two at the same time was already a pain, and life had to bring in four. If this was like six years ago, a single slash would have ended these Aragamis' lives. Even the shield of a Borg Camlann had nothing back then.

Soma sprinted to the side to avoid an Air Bomb from one, and dashed away from another's Air Blow. Yuka held her guard against a swipe from the third, and then smashed it right on the face with her blade. She was harvesting Aragami bullets at every possible occasion, but being wounded and ill really affected her battle performance, as she was struggling to keep herself standing and stay aware of all four Aragamis that had trapped them in. The only way to get her out of here alive was to grab hold of her and throw in a whole load of stun grenades to buy time.

What? His life doesn't matter anyway.

Most of the Aragamis' attention had returned to him, which is just right for his Charge Crush is up and ready. With the four Kongous lumped together in one place through Yuka's third stun grenade, Soma unleashed the bloody charge attack, unbinding heads all at once. He smirked, proud of himself and the work he had done.

And then, he heard her yell, Yuka's face the covered in panic he had never seen, "Double core! We got DOUBLE CORE—!"

He was, once again, thrown off the ground with a Bomb Ball.


	8. Gone Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Don't look at me— Look at the fucking Aragami!"
> 
> Epic Fail First Date Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is honestly... an awkwardly written chapter.

By sheer luck, they managed to somehow avoid getting slaughtered in an ambush. The God Eaters, Soma Schicksal and Ichinose Yuka, found shelter on one of the worn-out and abandoned buildings surrounding the area, the Aragamis' attention away from them completely. The pitter-patter of the pouring rain was the only music present in that dreaded place, being drowned out by the footsteps of the Aragamis scouting around, hunting for food.

Yuka was not doing any better. In fact, she was doing worse! The wounds she received from the Chi-you were still present, but the amount of blood flow had been reduced. It was also beginning to heal, albeit very slowly. It wasn't just that. By the time Soma had returned from checking the situation outside, she was coughing and hacking, knelt before a small pool of muddy water that had some blood swirling in the said liquid. At this point, he was getting irritated at the fact that she still choose to say nothing to him. His eyes narrowed, but none of them said a word as she wiped the remaining stain of blood on her face with the back of her hand.

_"Double core! We got DOUBLE CORE-!"_

_He never even thought it was possible for an Aragami to have two cores. He'd never even seen one in his long years of service. Sakaki simply once theorized that if humans can live with two hearts, then an Aragami with two cores might not be entirely impossible. Soma spat on the ground as he tried to rise up, the Chi-you now beckoning at the two God Eaters with its finger._

_If that wasn't much of a trouble yet, the Kongous had recovered from the effects of the stun grenade, roaring in pure anger. "Perfect time to die," he whispered._

_The Chi-you was still heavily damaged from the recent assault though, and it knew better than fighting them, as it began to ran for away from the wrecked battlefield. Yuka whipped his head over to Soma, and found him swinging his blade furiously at the Kongou herd closing their distance with him. There was no other option, and they need the damn Chi-you's core— cores! Whatever! "Oh, for fuck's sake!" She cried, running after the fleeing Aragami. At this point, she was willing to accept tremendous lecture from the old man rather than let their mission go to waste. The predator surged forward, after the Chi-you, and ripped its torso from the rest of its body with a loud, delicious crunch._

_She immediately regretted that decision. The second core was successfully retrieved, and her God Arc assumed its blade form. But pain shot up through her body, the blonde collapsing to her knees with a bloodcurdling scream. As she clawed desperately at her chest throbbing in pain, her insides felt like they were being devoured, physically tormenting her in the worst ways imaginable. Her left arm, which she used for support, visibly cringed and shook. Blood splattered to her arms and thighs as she continued to throw up, staining the bare ground with a pool of blood._

_Soma found her in that state, close enough to dying._

A couple of Restore Pills S and the painkillers Sakaki had given eased her from the excruciating pain. She sat leaning on a sturdy steel column, arms hanging limp and chest heaving up and down quickly for air. Her eyes were dull. "No more fucking around," he began. He wanted to scowl and glare angrily at her like he always does, but for some reason, Soma couldn't find it in himself to do so on a person looking like that. "What the hell is happening?"

"A little bit of system overload, and some things I don't know either." She craned her neck to his direction, her pale face beaming a smug smirk.

He then pointed at the odd discoloration on her chest, which was, prior to the mission, had not been noticeable due to being covered by the fabric of her assault jacket. "That."

She chuckled, turning her eyes from him. "Don’t know. It maybe a bruise from being punctured by the Cocoon Maidens... or being hit by a Gboro."

His eyes narrowed. "You were vomiting blood."

"Oh?" The sound that came next was something in between a cough and a chuckle. "I thought I threw up all my internal organs as well. Have you ever felt like some vicious monster is eating you from the inside? Like, tearing your organs piece by piece? God, I'm not watching gory NORN films ever again."

Seeing that she has no intentions of answering him in utter seriousness, Soma gave up, and instead sat on the floor by her side. More coughing and hacking. "It doesn't look like we're getting out of here without attracting trouble, isn't that right?" She asked. "I tried keeping the Far East Branch in touch, but the signal is choppy and I could barely get anything through." The male remained in silence. "Sorry for messing up your work, Soma." She sounded like she was going to cry.

The growing downpour was not enough to convince the herd of Kongous to leave.  _Huh_ , he thought _, if they had not come up in the first place, we probably are driving home by now_. After all, the mission only required the Chi-you. The silence hadn't been sitting long when Yuka tried to stand up with her God Arc acting as support. Soma had to go out of his way and ask her what she was doing. "Let's try that escape plan again. I don't want to stay here for another hour longer."

He didn't want to. They already did twice and both ended up badly. The last attempt twisted her ankle. She was the princess of disaster, attracting trouble wherever she goes. "What are you trying to achieve here — to die?" He scowled. When will she ever listen to him?!

If she was in her best condition, she would really roll her eyes at him. "Nothing's going to happen if we stay here.’Sides, _Onkel_ needs the core— cores."

"Who cares about his fucking cores...?" He glowered. "I'd like to see him try to survive this kind of environment. He'd never even been against any actual Aragami." He hissed, but Yuka pretended not to hear him.

With her broken ankle horribly failing her, she sat back down and laid out what remained of the items she was carrying. There was a single stun grenade, six more Restore Pills S, three O-Ampules II, two Restore Balls, a Restore Post, and, luckily, five Disguise Scents 15, along with a handful of bullets in varying types. "We could avoid their attention for..." She paused, taking a moment to calculate everything.

"Seventy-five seconds."

"One minute and fifteen seconds. The stun grenade could also help us hold them off for a little longer. Will that be enough for us to get back to the jeep?"

Heck, he doesn't even know if that vehicle still hasn't been destroyed. They had been stuck here for who-knows-how-long, and their jeep is out of sight. "No," Soma coldly replied. "You're in no condition to fight, and I'm not leaving you behind." He watched her flex her ankle a bit, and then smiled, probably because it wasn't hurting as much now. Sighing, he reached for the pockets of his blue jacket, and piled in five more Disguise Scents 15 with her own items. He also handed in what remained of his stun grenades. "Two minutes, thirty seconds and a bit more." He lifted his head slightly to meet her surprised eyes. "Look me in the eyes and say you can at least handle yourself out there."

 _I don't think so_ , her head screamed. But that hunger was rising from the pit of her stomach once again, functioning like a core that gives an Aragami "life". The painkillers had lessened the ache tormenting her for long, and the P73 Bias had geared itself to work. "Good enough to try getting out of here." Well, at least color was returning to her lips.

* * *

_"It wouldn't hurt."_

_She knew that. She is already twelve years old, and syringes and needles are nothing to her anymore. Not like she can object anyway, as the doctor's fingers felt around her arm, until they found a fitting nerve to puncture with the needle. The fluid inside the syringe slowly disappeared from her sight._

_They said it was medicine, so she didn't dare ask. And whenever she does, the doctors' answers weren't exactly satisfying enough. Sometimes, they don't even have answers._

_The injections came regularly, with the doctors not missing even a single one on schedule. The days in the Fenrir Hospital seemed endless, passing by with nothing to entertain her. She lied there staring up at the plain white and very boring ceiling. It was death, and it lasted for years._

Even up to now, Yuka bears no single idea of what she was made to take in back then. Apparently, it stopped when she began to work for the European Branch.

"If you keep spacing out like that, you'll end up wasting our two minutes," Soma told her in voice kept low. He fought the urge to yell at her and risk their chance of escape, as the Kongous nestled close by, even fighting amongst themselves over whatever food they could find, including pieces of that Chi-you from earlier.

And he's mad at her after everything he learned today.  _System overload, my ass_ , he grumbled to himself. If someone had told him of the Oracle Cell transfer bullshit, he would have sent her back to Europe with a kick in the ass. Yuka could clearly see that Soma was fuming in anger, as he would not meet her eyes anymore, instead keeping keen watch of the Kongous wandering around. "You could **die** ," was what he told her, the conviction in his voice sending chills straight down her spine.

She held onto her weapon.  _Going to die either way_ , she sighed. It can't be helped. They are God Eaters after all. Her nose scrunched up. "Soma... Do you smell that...?" But the question earned a look of utter confusion. "—hear that?"

A faint sound similar to a military tank advancing forward, but bigger. "Quadriga...?" She asked. Oh cool. More reasons to get the hell out of here. "Duck!" He yelled which was more than unnecessary, for he had, in split second, grabbed her by the back of her head and almost pushed her down to the ground. The next thing, the world exploded around them.

The good news? The explosion blasted the Kongous to pieces. That's nice. The bad news? It turned their hiding spot to a pile of dust, and Soma and Yuka were staring straight up at a killer Aragami tank. "Well, at least we don't have to deal with four."

Soma glared at her.

"Don't look at me— Look at the fucking Aragami!" The Quadriga brought up the launchers from its back. They both ran to avoid any incoming torpedoes, but instead, what greeted them were sounds similar to that of an outer shell being ripped open. It was gross, to be honest — and the sight of an evolving Aragami was more than enough to get Yuka to throw up again. A large dinosaur head sprouted from the head of the Quadriga, the original head ornament it wore being torn apart from its body, falling on the ground before disintegrating to black mass. Its original skull face seemed to have grown skin that it now frowned disapprovingly at the pair. The golden covering of its front armor peeled off like a snake changing skin, now presenting them an ugly looking face.

"Fucking hell..." They spoke in unison.

Yuka looked at his companion with the straightest face ever. "How do you say hello to the god of destruction in Nahuatl?"


	9. Metamorphoses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The First Unit falls into despair.
> 
> It is the first sighting of the black Vajra, and the God Eaters might have to eat more than what they can chew.

She should have listened to Soma. Note to self,  **always**  listen to Soma.

 _"It's just one Aragami! We can take it down!"_  That's what she said. Unfortunately, that wasn't what was happening. The newly-evolved Tezcatlipoca had gone into rampage, and it seemed seeing a pair of God Eaters right before it did no good to calm its shit down. If anything, it only got angrier. The huge machinery howled once again, trampling towards them. "Yuka, the Disguise Scents!" Her partner yelled.

She looked back at him, brows furrowed in confusion. "What Dis—?"

Soma's eyes narrowed dangerously, like he was ready to tear her from limb to limb. God, she owes this man a lot of apologies.

The blonde rolled away from an incoming missile, and afterwards flashed him the brightest, dumb-blonde smile. He hated every inch of it. "Oops." Not her fault to lose it in this chaotic mess, okay?! Must have dropped them while furiously trying to avoid a barrage of missiles bigger than an average human. The white-haired God Eater scowled angrily at her, his deadly glares sending chills far worse than any she had experienced. He's seriously done with her fucking things up.

"I'm not gonna trust you with anything again," he grumbled.

The Aragami's continuous attacks made it difficult to find a chance for counter, and the smoke gathering up from the consecutive explosions prevented them from seeing any opening. Before they could even realize it, the area was covered in a thin layer of smoke. She fumbled over her remaining ammunition, some of which were Aragami bullets from the Chi-you earlier, and, having not even a second to look at whatever color it showed, fired. The blaze bullet homed straight at the Tezcatlipoca's missile pods, followed by two more shots. The huge Aragami staggered, and Soma took the chance to sprint forward, smashing his blade hard against the sickening piece of front armor. While he busied himself in close combat, Yuka's time was being eaten by firing whatever at the Tezca. A single shot of Shadow Haze, a gorgeous divine bullet, sent the Aragami to a downed state, a burst of pastel-colored lights appearing on its feet.

Yuka was so caught up in the heat of the moment that it took her by surprise to see Soma dash past her and swing his massive weapon on an Ogretail that sprung from behind. Absolutely heroic, her thoughts came rushing in, but where the hell did that come from?! But it wasn't just an Ogretail, but a pack of them, marching towards the unsuspecting God Eater. She was forced to shift her aim at the smaller Aragamis, blasting them to gross pieces thanks to a couple of Bomb Ball bullets.

Seeing that 'Shdw Hz' was once again indicated on her blast gun, she darted away from the Ogretails as quickly as possible, returning at the recovering Tezcatlipoca. The blonde fired, and afterwards shifted to blade form, dealing further damage at the front armor. It was going well, until the Tezca managed to rise in between the attacks.

A flare of blinding purple light greeted her in surprise, and whatever that came along with it sent her down the ground with a loud yelp. She really is the princess of disaster, and the sounds of a few cracking clearly indicated that. "Shit-" She inhaled sharply. Her head was spinning. "How many injuries does it require to get a job done?"

"Get up from there!" Soma angrily yelled at her, grabbing her on one arm and forcing her to stand up like some rag doll. In split second, he had whipped up his tower shield, and the huge torpedo exploded to orange particles upon contact.

His jacket and pants had little tears, probably from the Ogretails, and a visibly bleeding wound sits on his left cheek. "... And stay out of the way,  _schatz_."

 _It was **NOT**  the proper time to blush and fuss over an endearment, Yuka! Pull yourself together!_ "Don't go distracting me," she frowned, picking up her gun. As she did so, pain shot up from her body and disappeared as quick. She shuffled through the bullets loaded, setting it into any Divine one that she had.

The Tezcatlipoca was now firing in point-blank range, completely enraged. And for some reason, it seemed to be much more drawn to her than to Soma who was tearing its body from below. She released another Shadow Haze straight at the Aragami's front armor. "Oh god, not now, please—" Yuka hissed, running away from the incoming missile while trying to keep herself upright. She slid behind the shelter of a huge chunk of rubble, placing the bottom of her gun over the rock she hid on.

The missiles kept coming like crazy; often a barrage of small ones from the pods on the back, sometimes that big ass one launched right out of the front armor. The thing is, after every salvo of missiles exploding all around her, a few Ogretails would gather and she would be forced to handle them, like— WHERE THE HELL DO THEY EVEN COME FROM?!

Gears clicked and she swung her blade at the last Ogretail of what might be the second wave that had gathered around her. The Tezcatlipoca's attention was still locked on here, flaring missiles at her direction. Occasionally, it would shift to Soma, but wouldn't take very long.

"What the..." The male God Eater stopped temporarily for some air, eyes narrowing at one of the most fucked up things in the universe.

The front armor — that ugly piece of shit — he had unbound a few minutes back was regenerating. Fucking regenerating. Particles of Oracle Cells gather towards the destroyed face of the armor in an attempt to repair it. Not fast enough to make it good as new easily, but still a pain in the ass. The broken parts are brought back to heighten the Aragami's defenses once again, and who knows if it is recreating it to be less susceptible to damage?

As the process continued, much to his annoyance, he radioed his encumbrance of a companion. "This one's not going to die until we get the core..." There were faint 'chink' sounds at his feet, and Soma looked down to discover that luck was somewhat at their side now. "...out."

On his side at least. Yuka was still a magnet to all kinds of trouble, evading every incoming projectile — which prevents her from retaliating at the huge tank. "Uhm... yeah," she replied quickly. "Basic God Eater knowledge, thank you." As her God Arc switched back to its gun form, she found herself hurled off her feet, the entire surroundings dissolving to complete nothingness.

* * *

Yuka had been through a lot of crazy and silly things in her life, but hearing ghostly whispers in her ear was definitely not one of them.  _'Almost there.'_

It jolted her awake in less than a second and she would have bolted upright if she could. Her insides felt like they've been feasted on, and every movement hurt — as it did years back. The Sick Bay was silent, and only continued to relive her greatest nightmares. As her eyes wandered around, she caught sight of a piece of paper sitting silently on the bedside table. It was a hastily written note... of debt. 

You and Soma owe me beer now too. Party when I get back. 

It said, signed by everyone's favorite man, Amamiya Lindow. 

> P.S. Get Soma to go.

 She stifled a laugh at such a task. Does anybody in the branch not know that Soma's pretty bad in handling his liquor? No? Too bad.

"Oh, you're awake! Fantastic! We have plenty of things to discuss." She had heard enough bad news from the doctor to know that, despite his usual smile, things are in the worst possible condition. "His growing concern didn't need me to coax the information out of him, and from what I've heard... you shouldn't be allowed to go out in the field for a good while."

Her mouth fell open. "I thought we had this discussed! I'm not-" Her words fell to silence as Sakaki handed over an envelope. "-dead yet...?" Because the results handed over to her said otherwise. Her rib bones were all over the place! "Th-This is..."

"Baffling, I know!" The doctor agreed. "You took a large missile head on; nearly broke all of your bones but no one had ever heard you complain about the pain." He smiled down at the pathetic her lying on that uncomfortable bed, like a professor expecting his student knows the answer.

She frowned. "Can I complain about it now?"

However, Sakaki only continued to speak. "As a genuine carrier of the P73 Bias Factor, I'd say you are showing much better results now than you did when you were younger." The blonde opened her mouth to say something, but was immediately cut off. "Judging from the results of the diagnosis, I would infer that the bias  **learned**  how to adapt to your reckless and stubborn attitude." Her frown twisted to a scowl, but Sakaki brushed it off with a small laugh. He then began to leaf through a familiar folder — her medical records, of course — and resumed speech. "The bias immediately figures out what is wrong with your body system and attempts to fix it, much like an automatic computer program, which would explain the unique regenerative abilities you and Soma showcase."

"But you said the bias  _'adapted'_."

The doctor nodded. "Indeed. Having something like that doesn't make the two of you resistant to feeling pain. It turns out, you're a different case. Why are you always a different case? Anyway, as you are a... very adventurous God Eater, you tend to place yourself in situations a normal human would be far beyond fixing."

Somehow, she believed the doctor is placing as much insult as possible in his every statement, most likely in Soma's request. This ought to be fun... not.

"The Bias Factor places you or the affected body part in a state of absolute numbness, taking your attention away from the immense pain and allowing you to focus on whatever you are doing," he explained. "It certainly is an advantage in comparison to those that have the P53 Bias Factor. However, it doesn't mean you are immortal."

Yuka's eyebrows furrowed as her head hung low in thought. "Yeah, but... when I took that Chi-you's core from a while back, there was this really strange reaction..."

Paylor fell into silence as well. "Shouldn't you know that already? Doing that would force the Oracle Cells into your body. That horrible reaction you speak of must be the Bias Factor failing to keep up with that process." She looked like she was about to say something else, but Paylor kept speaking. "And the nauseous feeling you've been having for days..." Her eyes began to be filled with curiosity.

Just for the sake of prolonging her agony, Paylor headed over to the door, slid it open and poked his head out to the hall. A moment of silence, and he closed it, returning to his original spot. "... I'd suspect it is because of your body being unable to keep up with the constant... change."

"Change," she repeated, letting the word sink in.

The other carefully sorted the papers in the folder, and Yuka was more than surprised to see what he drew out. "Change," he confirmed, as if it was some kind of assurance. "A drastic change."

She reached out her hand to take the results, and Sakaki gladly handed it over. Blue eyes studied the printed figure carefully, its owner digesting the information with utter and surprising calmness. "I wonder..."

_... the plan...?_

"The horrible reactions, the sick feeling, and any other strange occurrence within you are all parts of the metamorphosis," Sakaki then said. "After a while, either they all will be gone, or your body will get accustomed to them. The only things that still baffle me up to now are the factor that causes them, and the one behind this."

She averted her eyes, the paper now laying flat on her chest.

"You know, don't you? Not everything, but—"

"Ideas," she finished. "Speculations. Suspicions. I wouldn't have agreed to come here in the first place if I didn't want to know more. And of course, what the hell is this for."

Faint voices came from the hallway, slightly muffled by the walls in between. Paylor was quick to mask the grim expression in his face, replacing it with the usual smile of his. Yuka handed over the diagnosis results she was given. "I'm going to dispose the hardcopy of these, but once you are able to walk, proceed to the laboratory so I can give you a disc," the doctor quickly said. The voices from the hall were beginning to get louder. Sakuya's and Kota's. He then proceeded to leave.

"Doctor Sakaki... Word would not get out. Especially not to Soma."

"Are you afraid of what he might do?"

"No, I'm more afraid of what  _he_  might do."

The door opened, revealing Sakuya Tachibana and Kota Fujiki. Sakaki excused himself to return to his office, and the pair curtly said farewell. "You look pretty depressed," Kota noted, though his face was also hinting a bit of gloom. "Something bad Dr. Sakaki said?"

Even Sakuya was not smiling. "Major Amamiya said that until you have fully recovered, you are currently off duty and disallowed from going into battlefield. It was the Director's orders." By the look in her face, their own mission did not go too well either. "Take care of yourself more, Yuka."

"But hey, we got the mission accomplished," Yuka answered, her lips twisting to a small smile.

Kota brought his hands at the back of his head. "People say Soma was really furious when you got back. He had, like, this deadly aura all over him!"

"Kudos to the guy, though. I owe him a lot of things. How about you? What happened to your assignment? Where are Lenka and Alisa?" She wished she hadn't asked that question, as both God Eaters avoided her eyes. "Are they... alright?"

The veteran sniper was the first to speak. "We got... separated after the encounter with the black Vajra."

_A black Vajra...?_

_Could it still be a part of the big project?_


	10. Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Devil rises from the pit of hell, and Yuka Ichinose might not just be that ready to sell her soul yet.
> 
> But before that, the mighty Soma Schicksal loses to the effects of alcohol.

It wasn't really much of a party. Even if it was, Yuka would be far from calling it one, considering the situation their unit is currently in. She's not even exaggerating it, after everything that had happened. The fight against that regenerating Tezcatlipoca is amongst those things. After a few days tolerating the Sick Bay, she'd been able to walk upright without the woozy feeling, but the diagnostic results keep her from being returned to duty. If that is not already a bad news from a God Eater who could only go out and slaughter Aragamis, there is still that sitting problem about the Oracle Cells, which she hasn't solved quite yet.    

Over the course of their special assignment, Sakuya, Kota, Alisa and Lenka took the mission to kill two Vajras, which didn't go too well like theirs. The entirety of the job spiralled to chaos, with civilians massacred, Lenka's God Arc broken, and Alisa in an unstable mind state. To level up the horror, there is a new Aragami in town which everyone refers to as a black Vajra.

There is nothing to party about, just as Soma had said. "Well, we should at least be happy we didn't lose anybody," Lindow replied with a cocky grin, not letting himself be affected by the younger man's negative mentality. "But that's an order so you all have to stay alive anyway."

Alisa is still under medical care, while Lenka and Kota are too young to be drinking, so it was just the four of them, sharing beer and fries in their Captain's room. "I'd have to say," Sakuya began. "I'm surprised you decided to spend your credits to buy beer rather than taking mine." It had kind of been a habit for Lindow to just barge into the female's room to sneak out some cans, and Yuka couldn't be any more envious of their relationship. She couldn't even step into Soma's room without getting shot.

Lindow paused as he was to guzzle down his second glass of beer. "Well..." He averted his gaze from his team, lips smirking at the slightest. "You could say I've been doing some high-paying jobs as of late, so expenses are the least of my worries." Sakuya's brows visibly knitted in worry, but the room fell silent. "Aww, you guys don't like me buying you drinks every once in a while?"

"You should at least get us for those jobs," Yuka said with a small pout. "It isn’t good soloing them all."

The Captain's eyes narrowed slightly, looking with much more seriousness at the blonde God Eater who was drinking her own glass of beer. "Well, if you manage a well-fought battle with zero casualties and injuries... who knows?" The other froze at his words, a mixture of embarrassment and surprise clouding her face. "Impossible," Soma at her side, snorted, much to her chagrin.

Sakuya stifled a small laugh, while Lindow visibly smirked, but added that he knows of a few stories on how clumsiness had been a lifesaver. Yuka only poured herself another glass of beer, letting their words and laughter roll off her back without a single care. They have no idea what was going on anyway, and what it might all end up as, so these three higher-ranking veterans could laugh at everything they want. As the bottle was placed back down on the table, she picked up her glass and brought her eyes back to her companions. "So..." She began. "... It's being pretty tough around here the branch lately, don't you think?" Her eyes then wandered over to the lone glass sitting on the table, which Soma hadn't touched since the 'party' began. "It seems to be... more dangerous."

Everyone else's face grew serious. Aragamis continue to adapt overtime, making themselves much more fit in their current environment. Back in 2065, exterminating them could be done in one or two swift strikes, and there were only very few species. By now, they even have Fallen variants and "evolutions". "Well, the only constant thing in this world is change," said Sakuya with a sigh.

"Uh-huh," Lindow immediately agreed. "And it's either for better or for worse. In our case, it seems to be the last one. Oi, Soma, if you're not drinking your beer, mind if I have it?" The younger lad simply scoffed, and the Captain proceeded to stretch out an arm for that ignored glass of beverage.

But Yuka, faster than the speed of light, slammed the male's hand hard against the wooden table that both Sakuya and Lindow got startled, along with the latter yelping a bit. It had much force that the glasses atop the table rattled slightly. Soma gave her a questioning glare. After a short moment of silence, her face softened, lips twisting to a sickening sweet smile of a psychopath. Her hand slowly and gently pushed Lindow's away, as the other one held a firm grip on Soma's glass. " _Liebling_ , Leader went out of his way to buy us drinks and it'd be a shame if you’re going to disregard that fact."

The white-haired lad hissed at the other. Her smile meant that there was something coated by those words. Sakuya watched in confusion, while Lindow in amusement. "Who even told you I wanted to be here?" He scowled.

That very second, her eyes grew devious. " _Sie könnten Schlachtung Aragamis, aber man kann nicht mutig ein Glas Bier? Wie ficking lahm_."

They didn't know what she said, but whatever that was offended Soma greatly that he, all of a sudden, snatched the glass from her hands and emptied its contents down his throat without any other word. He slammed the now empty glass back on the table, furiously glaring at the woman by his side. "Happy now?"

Yuka was obviously savoring her victorious moment. "Oh no, dear," she cooed. "Have another glass~" And in the split second, his glass was on its way to being filled. Soma didn't look like he was willing to back down despite whatever the consequences are. She fucking started it. Her lips had that sly smile on them, and no part of him would let her win in this little game of hers. He lifted the glass and guzzled down its content. Well, fuck.

Stupid Lindow chuckled. "That's what I'm talking about!" He cheered. "You join us next time too, alright, Soma?"

"There'll be no next time..." He half-spoke, half-groaned, regretting the decision to even fall for Yuka's trap. The world was beginning to buzz, and there is this warmth rising in his body. The alcohol was hitting him faster than he could to an Aragami. Somewhere at the back of his head, he could hear that triumphant chuckle of his childhood friend.

It wasn't just at the back of his head. Yuka emerged victorious, holding up her own glass of alcoholic beverage and yelling "Cheers!” much to everyone's delight.

It didn't even get to ten glasses. But even when drunk, Soma managed to keep up his 'rejecter' attitude, rejecting his comrades' offers of another glass, but will drink up without second thought when given anyway. His words, however, were slurry, and his face was red. "You should get him to bed, Yuka." Lindow finally said in a concerned voice. "Before he ends up doing anything silly."

"You really know how to manipulate him sometimes, don't you?" Sakuya laughed.

The blonde poked on said male's cheek, which was now resting his head on her shoulder out of drunken consciousness. "Eh, just had to play with his ego a little bit. This guy doesn't know when to back down on a fight, and that gets him to so much trouble."

Thankfully, Soma's room wasn't that far from Lindow's, and he wasn't really a very heavy guy. Though she had to go through the trouble of dragging him across the hallway as he grumbled stuff in his drunken state. "'is place sucks..." He grumbled.

Yuka struggled to stay upright as Soma seemed to press every bit of his weight on her. "I know," she replied. "Hey- Hey- Where are you going-"

"'m gonna kill shum fucking Ar'gami-" He slurred out, trying to stand and walk on his own by holding onto the wall. "All o'zem..."

The blonde chuckled, assisting the other back to his feet. "You would?" She asked, helping the other to his room. Soma groaned out a yes, as he was plopped down on his bed, which was a mess of pillows and blanket. "Without holding back?" She received another slurry yes. Yuka propped his two feet up the furniture, and freed his them from his shoes. "That's good to know." She then worked her way to sliding his jacket off his arms, and placed it atop the back of a chair. "When worse comes to worst," she started; now wistfully staring down at her partner. The smile on her lips had completely faded. "... I'd really appreciate it if you'll be the one to finish the job."

She waited for an answer, but sleep beat her to it, the male completely passed out on his bed. "Because that's what friends do. Good night, Soma."

* * *

Maybe she had a little too much of alcohol too, that she was hallucinating.

She was pretty sure she saw some hooded figure seated on her couch when she entered the room, but her brain willed her to ignore it and just collapse on the comforts of her bed. That was probably just the alcohol getting to her brain, because, apart from Soma, no one else wears a blue hood around the Den.

"You're not going to greet me, offer me coffee or anything?"

No, she wasn't drunk. She has higher tolerance in alcohol than Soma. The blonde lifted her head slightly, cocking it towards the source of the voice. She surely isn't hallucinating. A girl, probably not as tall as her, now stood on the other side of the bed, grinning at her. Okay, first and foremost, who is this girl?

"I go by lots of names, you know," she answered. "I doubt you'd want to know all of them. But if you want, I could tell you, for 500, 000 Fc each."

Blue eyes widened. " **The fuck-?!** " At this point, Yuka knew that this wasn't some sick hallucination she is having, and there really is a gold digger standing in front of her. She was pale— white kind of pale that she is the same color as her bed sheet. A mask covered the top half of her face, and with the horns protruding from the sides of her head, Yuka wasn't sure if she would want to know what was behind that mask. With her hood down now, her teal hair was visible to sight. She was dressed in the Wild Clothes Set, the top being the blue Zircon, while the bottom was in Zoisite variant.

The girl chuckled, and Yuka sat up furiously. "I'm not paying you a single credit!" She yelled. "What are you even doing here?"

"Not part of the things I'm going to tell you, so I'd have to charge you for that question."

"God, I'm drunk. I'm probably dreaming. Drunk dreaming."

"You know, the clock continues to tick, and an hourglass would keep running until it's out of sand. Even while we speak, things would flow the way they should." Somehow, Yuka figured this girl meant business, with how she weaved her every word. Perhaps it wouldn't be bad to go along with this... unusual dream.

As her face grew serious, the girl's smirked. "You're actually pretty lucky. The others didn't even last for an hour."

"Others...?" She repeated, her brow now raised.

The girl did not give any form of assurance, and instead, continued to speak. "So, how is everything going?" It was asked in a very nonchalant way, as if she and this masked girl had known each other for long... as if she knows every bit of information about her — even the ones she has no idea of. It is a weird dream indeed. "Oh wait never mind. I know, anyway."

"Then what's the point of asking?!" Yuka frowned disapprovingly. "Look, I don't know who you are and what the hell are you doing here, but can't you just go and let me have a peaceful dream?"

It only seemed to amuse the girl even more. "Fine, fine. Since you are a 'special' case, I won't charge you that much."

"I'm not paying you either way."

The other shrugged. "My name's C, and I'm... well, an information broker."

"Alright, but I am not in need of your services. Toddles. ~"

"You're just afraid to admit that, Yuka," C grinned. "You need me as much as Soma does." At the mention of the male God Eater's name, the blonde froze. "I wonder how much he'd pay just to know your secret. Six years in service, not many friends to treat drinks or food. His God Arc doesn't even need that much upgrade or maintenance. He could probably hand over 1, 000, 000 credits without a problem." The girl was rubbing her fingers at the thought of that much money alone. "... Or probably even more." What only added to her delight was the sight of Yuka gritting her teeth, trying to glare angrily at her.

"Steer. Clear. From Soma," she glowered.

C chuckled. "Oh please. Not very threatening. But we could have that arranged... some other time."

This time, blue eyes squinted at the smaller girl. A gasp escaped from the blonde's lips. "You're not human. You are..." She had no idea how she knew, but at the back of her head, something was telling her that C was different and similar to her at the same time.

If C had eyes, she would probably be rolling them upon hearing what the other had just said. "A mass of Oracle Cells, I know, I know." She let out an exasperated sigh, before continuing, "And so will you be." But afterwards came to a short pause, realizing something was wrong with what she had just said. "No, wait. You're different, because you have that." She lifted a finger, pointing at the other's chest.

It was only then that Yuka realized one thing. The large bruise she had on her left chest had disappeared without a trace, which is good, but now, a thin jagged line sat where the discoloration had been, much like the ones she sees on dry ground. "What about this?"

"The thing that sets the difference."

C only confused her even more, and this was giving her a greater headache than the information overload Dr. Sakaki gives her. "Oh yeah, he told you to consider yourself a computer program, didn't he?" C asked, a playful smirk now drawn across her pale face. "That was, if I might add, a wise way to put it, and it only makes explaining everything a whole lot easier." She seemed to be pleased with herself, especially at the way the words came out of her mouth. "If you are going to use that kind of comparison, you might as well believe that..."

Yuka's breath hitched at the suspense, but her eyes remained glued to the other female. C, on the other hand, appeared to appreciate that every bit of her attention was on her. Her words were sinking in. With that, C decided to continue, "... that you are being destroyed by a terrible, powerful, and unstoppable virus."

She thought it was going to be something surprising, but Yuka knew that much. That kind of information will not in any way startle her. C expected that. Thing is, little flower has no idea what it might end up as, and why it was planted in the first place. The blonde scowled at the pale girl. "Whichever way the river flows, it will end in a single destination — a larger body of water. If you are here to tell me that piece of information, you are only wasting your time breaking in to my dream."

C chuckled. "No, no, you don't understand. Flower— Can I call you that?"

"No."

"Alright. Flower, you're not even seeing the whole garden. You are a computer program, aren't you? Once this virus gets you corrupted— completely corrupted, one wrong move could shut down the computer itself. The computer, and every single network connected to it. When that happens, the only thing that could get everything to work again will be.." Her lips twisted to a malicious, psychotic grin. "... a system restart, little flower."

She understood every bit of it technology-wise, but Yuka could not figure out how that metaphor could fit into the distorted world she's in. "I'm not following, C."

C only took greater delight in her growing confusion. "No, not yet. Not today. Soon, maybe. It's all up to how fast you comprehend, really. Anyway, you should remember that you're the bomb. Why bomb, you wonder?" She smirked— that kind of smirk that tells everyone something was wrong and she is delighted of it. C, that smirk still plastered on her pale face, leaned down just enough for her breath to ghost over the other's ear, and, in a sinister voice, whispered, "Because you're man-made."

_... man-made._

"One last thing, Yuka. Don't let Lindow call you a pet. You're a flower."

She had recovered from the shock of C's words from a while back, allowing her to frown some more at the girl. "Well, yes. My name means flower. I know that already. An eighteen year old information."

"A pet is trained to do a certain task, follow a certain command they're given. It's someone else, you see. A flower, on the other hand, despite having the ability to freely bloom in beauty under the sun, is sometimes made to grow for a special purpose. Whether it is for decoration, a gift for someone, or something else, it would depend on who planted it. And once the flower has been plucked to do what had been planned for it, it will simply wither away and die."

"Stop dropping hints, C. Don't beat around the bush."

"You need sleep, and don't you forget my name, okay? Who knows? We might end up striking a good deal."

"What are you, the devil?"

"Well, I try to live up to that. I am Devil, after all. Oh, and I'm going to need you to transfer me the 500, 000 Fc for that information the next time we meet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Sie könnten Schlachtung Aragamis, aber man kann nicht mutig ein Glas Bier? Wie ficking lahm." - "You can slaughter Aragamis but can't brave a glass of beer? How fucking lame."


	11. Meteorite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You are going to pay for that information either way, not just through lame credits. I just go for what people need less. Unfortunate ones pay with loyalty, their future, and worse, their life. In fact, someone you know is closing in to the last option. As for you... Fate is listing out all your current debts, and would ask for the required payment when the time comes, which might not come as an easy process, I'm afraid."
> 
> C foreshadows.  
> Yuka fails to get a grasp of what is to happen.

"Wha-?! This got to be some sick joke!" The blonde God Eater complained in an annoyed, infuriated voice, which surprised everybody gathered in the lobby. No one had ever been able to complain like that to Major Tsubaki Amamiya. "I've been fine for two days! Why can't I work on the operation like everybody else?'

Tsubaki's green eyes narrowed at her, out of annoyance. "That is an order from the Director, supported by Dr. Sakaki. Any more of your violent reactions and complains should go to either one of them directly." Without another word, she walked past the younger female and headed out of the lobby. The speakers then began to call for all available God Eaters for the orientation in regards to Operation: Meteorite.

Yuka frowned and crossed her arms, watching veterans and rookies alike as they made their way. Soma was one of the last who grumbled his way out of the section elevator, his head low as usual with a hand pressed on its side. The blonde quickly strode towards him and greeted, "Hey, Soma—"

"Don't. Fucking. Talk to me," the male immediately growled before she could even finish, a hand still pressed on the side of his head and his eyebrows furrowed. Judging from the tone of his voice, no bullshit today. Yuka's mouth then went shut, sighing only after the other male was in a considerable distance. It must have been the hangover from last night, but hey, she didn't know it would be that bad. Plus, Lindow and Sakuya know she didn't make him do anything silly. Definitely. His anger would pass, she believed, probably once his head cools off from the effects of the alcohol.

Still, it would be such a boring day not being able to go to work. Not like there was anything else fun to do inside the Far East Branch. In addition to that, all units are required to go to the meeting so, more or less, she is alone.

"Hey," a voice from behind whispered. "Where is my 500, 000 Fc?"

The last words took a moment to hit the dazed blonde, and when they did, all she was able to do was jump up in surprise and shriek, scrambling quickly out of the seat she sat on that her knee smacked hard against the edge of a table. " _Scheiße!_ " She yelped, falling back down on the couch with hands pressed on her aching knee. Angrily, she turned to the cause of her misfortune, which made her eyes grow wide, leaving her frozen in shock.

A grin crossed the other's face, seeing the God Eater's reaction. "What, you look like you've seen a ghost," she snickered, leaving the back of the furniture to sit down by her side. Yuka's eyes followed her every movement. "I know I'm pale but don't you think that's too much... Flower?"

"C..." She managed. "What... are you doing here?"

"I'm here for your debt, and well, something else."

 Yuka frowned. "Am I dreaming again? I must be having a nightmare. I mean, you can't be real, can you? You were in my room last night, and we were having a weird discussion and—" She laughed. "Oh my god. I'm going insane." Her attention then spun back to C, seeing how she was still wearing the straightest expression that would give Soma a run for his money, literally and figuratively. "Wait, so you're real...?" The pale girl nodded. "Last night was real too?"

"Every single word, Flower."

For a moment, she looked like she was ready to faint; but instead, Yuka pulled her gaze back, comic and disbelief completely ripped away from her now serious expression. She was silent, drowned out by her own thoughts. C pouted slightly, and opened her mouth to say something, but was abruptly cut off by Hibari calling out for the female God Eater's attention. It snapped the latter out of her trance, and, even with her thoughts everywhere, immediately responded.

"The Director asks you to come see him."

"... what?"

She probably is getting scolded or lectured for that horrible performance at the last special mission or maybe her complains at Tsubaki had reached the Director's attention, and he plans to send her back to Europe. That must be it. Yuka held back her tears, willing the lump on her throat to disappear. It hadn't been a year yet and she already is a failure. What a way to make her parents proud.

"He's not going to send you back there, trust me," C, who stood at her side, assured her. "He wouldn't have gone through the trouble of transferring you if he..." She paused, and turned away from the taller girl as they walked, her lips twisting to a small smirk. "... well, doesn't see your potential. You just keep growing, little flower."

An eyebrow raised, but Yuka said no word. C really has her way to make her words even more confusing. Up to now, she still hasn't grasped any idea on what they discussed last night, and this whole flower metaphor still keeps her head spinning. Both stopped in front of the Director's office, and the blonde took the initiative to knock, while C made herself comfortable leaning against the wall. "Come in," a voice on the other side said. With a sigh, she opened the door.

Director Schicksal's first words didn't really soothe her anxiety. In fact, it only grew worse, believing she really will be deported back to Europe, regardless of what C had just said. "The recent mission ended quite... unfortunate," he began, and she could attest to that without a hesitation. "But then again, you and Soma managed to take down the Chi-you I asked you both to do, so I would not say it was a complete failure." That was a relief. It means her odds of being sent back had been lessened, and she doesn't have to worry so much. "Although, you must keep in mind that you might have to take down that Tezcatlipoca again. According to Soma's report, it... regenerates." For a moment, Johannes' eyes became quite hard to read, as if a billion things continue to run in his head all at once. He then brought his hands from cupping the front of his face to rest down on the desktop, as he reclined slightly on his chair, eyes now on the lone God Eater seated in his office. "Moving on, there is a small task I wish for you to accomplish."

"But... Major Amamiya said I'm still can't report for duty," she replied.

The Director fell silent for a short while. "Did she now?" His fingers lightly tapped against the top of his table. "Perhaps she hasn't gotten the newest order yet. As I was saying, I would like you to do scouting on a few areas, as simple as that. It would still be a necessity to carry your God Arc along, of course, for self-defense purposes. I would have sent Soma in too, but right now, he is part of the preparation for the next operation. You won't be having any problems without him, will you?"

"O-Of course."

* * *

The raven-haired male was pretty surprised to see her in front of the terminal, withdrawing items from the storage to her inventory. Not to mention she was all geared up for a mission. Lenka's green eyes gave the female a questioning look mixed with slight confusion. "You're going out...?" He asked; as he went on to operate the other terminal beside hers.

"Don't tell Soma," was her immediate response, before she paused from what she was doing and turned to face him. "He's in your unit, isn't he?"

It took him quite a while to answer a small 'yeah'. Yuka knew why. It's true that Lenka arrived in the branch before she did, but she'd known Soma longer to be able to tell what's bothering her fellow New-Type. He gets the same treatment as everybody else, most likely. "You know, Lenka-kun, Soma is a big douche." The other seemed to be surprised with her choice of words, seeing that he stopped for a moment to look at her in utter confusion. Did he really think she will cover up his cold personality and call him a Prince Charming or something? "He thinks he can solve all problems by himself and he doesn't need anybody. He pushes people away, thinking it as a way of saving them from himself." Her lips formed a small pout. "Which, in my opinion, is completely bollocks? So, whenever you feel like there's a need to smack him in the head, even with his own God Arc, no one's stopping you. Trust me, he needs it."

"Have you?"

Much to his surprise, she chuckled at the question. "Oh, for goodness' sake, no. Well, not successfully. Soma bites back... hard and harsh." She paused, finding the words that came out of her mouth pretty inappropriate. "Err, I mean, he has this load of comebacks he throws on me whenever I point out his flaws. I can't really win against him verbally. He abuses our friendship to get me to bite dust. I smack him, he smacks me back. I lose."

"But you, Lindow, and Sakuya seem to be pretty fine working alongside him," he noted.

"Takes time, and really, once you know and understand where all his anti-social personality is coming from, it wouldn't be that very difficult. He needs comrades, not people who would judge him for his past and actions."

"But you called him a douche a while ago, Yuka-san."

"I just did, and I'm not going to take it back. You can tell him that, and that I... 'borrowed' 250, 000 Fc from him." She then proceeded to log out of the terminal, waving the other farewell and whistling happily as she darted off towards the God Arc storage room. The elevator opened, revealing the pale girl grinning up at her. C's grins are always troubling, especially because she doesn't know her that much yet to tell what is going inside her head, and Yuka doubts she ever will.

Almost the entirety of her face hid behind her blue furry hood. The two of them were both leaning on the wall, waiting for the elevator to stop at their respective destinations. "So, you ready to pay me?"

Yuka grumbled under her breath. "I didn't ask for that information in the first place. Why am I obligated to pay for what you gave out yourself?"

"But you snuck some money from Soma and you have more than enough." How did she even know? C is totally freaking her out. "Why are you even borrowing, as you put it, credits from your boyfriend–"

"Shut up, C."

 “– if you could just take all from your parents' joint account? You know the one they left you behind?"

At this point, the confinement fell into silence, with C deviously smirking under her hood, and Yuka avoiding any kind of contact as much as possible. How much exactly does C know? Why the hell does she know so much?

Her thoughts dissipated as the elevator dinged, and the blonde God Eater got off. Surprisingly, C was headed for the same floor. Yuka pretended neither to mind nor notice that the pale girl was trailing behind, as if following her every turn. When she climbed up the driver's seat of the vacant jeep she will be using for her assignment, C took the shotgun seat. "You know how to drive?" She asked, as the other started the engine.

"I'm not a kid who needs my parents to drive me to work," Yuka frowned, deciding to place her God Arc casing on the back instead. She gripped the wheel and pressed her foot against the accelerator, forcing the vehicle to go forward.

"Yeah, because they're dead."

The jeep came to an abrupt stop. C smacked her head against the dashboard so hard that Yuka couldn't stop the satisfying smirk on her lips. By the time C had recovered, she was forcing an irritated look on her face, which wasn't very difficult when the non-human girl complained on how she adopted a few attitudes of Soma. "Look, C," she began, glaring daggers at the unwanted companion. "If you plan to hit a nerve at every fucking second, I'd rather go by myself."

However, no words were able to persuade the other. C just has a shitload of witty comebacks (not as evil as Soma's though), and perhaps her own persuasion skills weren't just developed enough. They both strode through the isolated grounds surrounded by nothing but crashed infrastructures. Apart from the two of them, and the occasional Ogretails or Zygotes they came upon, the area was empty. "What exactly does the Director want us to find, C?"

She hummed softly. "20, 000 Fc."

Yuka sighed in defeat. "List it down on my debt list," the blonde grunted in an aggravated tone, not wasting a mere second to even look back at the smaller female trailing behind. C is going to rob her off her very last credit. "Answer my question."

A short silence sat awkwardly in the air, while C mauled over her words. "Haven't you figured it out yet, Flower? He's looking for the original. And you have that one thing Soma doesn't that could really be very useful in finding it."

Once again, she paid C to confuse her further. "And that would be...?"

"100, 000, 000 Fc."

"No more questions." Something she has that Soma doesn't? Well, that's a pretty tough one, considering the two of them are different in many ways. Why does the answer cost so much anyway? Why does she have to pay for it in the first place?!

As if having read her mind, C decided to speak. "You are going to pay for that information either way, not just through lame credits. I just go for what people need less. Unfortunate ones pay with loyalty, their future, and worse, their life. In fact, someone you know is closing in to the last option. As for you..." She studied the blonde girl that paused on her tracks to turn to her. "Fate is listing out all your current debts, and would ask for the required payment when the time comes, which might not come as an easy process, I'm afraid."

"What do you mean?"

C smirked playfully, her question being left unanswered. "I wonder which one would it be, Flower. It's really up to you whom you will shed your petals for: the devil, or fate?"

In some cases, the choice of words would have freaked her out, but Yuka had been through so many things lately that she could only muster up a straight face. "Will you give me time to figure it out?"

"Of course, but you better pick wisely. I believe its common knowledge that once a flower wilts, it disappears forever."


	12. Between the Two of Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "One: I don't want to put the life of my team on the line. Two: I don't want any of you to be in a greater danger than you all already are. Three: There's no telling who else in the branch double-crosses their allies for amusement. Four... You are the Director's pet."

_"C, what's the difference between fate and the devil?"_

_The girl in question looked slightly surprised at the question, but only for a mere moment as her lips immediately twisted to that cunning smile Yuka had grown accustomed to. "Everything will go the way as fate had decreed, but you can make a deal with the devil for it to change." Yuka broke gaze with the pale girl and brought her eyes back on the book she held in her hand. Seeing that she was out of words to say, the non-human girl added, "Fate doesn't let you choose. It never did in the past, nor will do in the future. However, the devil will grant your wishes in exchange of a single thing. Isn't that how it works?"_

"I'm glad that except for one of us, our souls are all united."

_"There's no better choice," C continued. "You just have to choose the one that will produce the lesser evil outcome."_

"Ehem?" Lindow faking a cough snapped Yuka out of her trance, only for her to find out that the rest of her team had their eyes on her for probably quite some time now. "Are you with us today, Yuka? If you still aren't feeling very well, Soma could stay behind with you." The mentioned male hissed and scoffed at the suggestion, mumbling under his breath that he isn't a babysitter.

She quickly shook her head. "I'm good, I'm good," she assured them. "Sorry."

The raven-haired male seemed not very convinced, as he noticeably kept his gaze a little longer than the others did. However, no words slipped past his lips, and he simply shifted his attention to the team as a whole. "This is a clean-up operation," he began. "Stick to the mission, everyone. Just Zygotes, Cocoon Maidens and Ogretails. Two groups. Yuka, you're coming with me. The rest are on you, Sakuya."

"Roger."

Yuka was still quite surprised with the order she received, but followed the leader nonetheless, while Soma and Kota trailed behind Sakuya towards the opposite direction. As expected, Lindow was quick in taking the opportunity to get her to talk.

He walked a few steps ahead of her, keeping watchful eyes on whatever might jump up from the shadows. The other was his exact opposite, her head low while her own thoughts are everywhere. Seeing that the coast was clear at the moment, Lindow spoke, "C has been... into you lately." His tone was still that nonchalant, laid back one that everyone knows, but the question obviously hinted something else.

Yuka looked up at her superior, but he only continued to walk and speak, "Don't let her words get to you. Those type of people... you can't put all your trust on them."

"But C is an information broker. Why can't I trust every detail coming out of her mouth?"

Her eyes met his, as Lindow looked back at her with a straight face, as if was a woman who had lost her mind. Maybe she really had. With everything going on around her, Yuka wasn't even sure if she could call herself sane. "Sure, C knows a lot. But how can you guarantee that all things she tells you are true? Have you considered that maybe she is just making you dance in her own palm?"

It never came to her mind, in all honesty. Was she really that dense? That too trusting? _"I'm giving you a choice, but fate cannot be altered."_

_"There's no such thing as only 'one' way. That's why there are Three Fates, not one."_

"Do you not trust C?" Yuka's question met the leader's stern gaze, but he immediately pulled it back, staring off to the far distance instead. Lindow fell silent, mauling over the words to say. Finally, he turned her back on her, discarding the tiny bit of cigarette he had onto the ground. "You can trust C that she wouldn't stab you in the back as long as she has uses for you. In the battlefield, well, I guess I could trust her a little bit. But really, stay away from C, Yuka. It's for your own good, you'll see."

Before she could respond to the last words he left, Lindow trudged forward.

"What was that for-?" He asked in a slightly raised tone, after he found himself tackled down to the ground all of a sudden after only a few steps. His eyes turned to Yuka, who was next to him on all fours, looking as bewildered as he is. "Uhm- Uhm- I—" She stuttered, finding the proper words to reply.

Right where he once stood, the ground erupted, that both God Eaters hurriedly rose to their feet and kept a tight grip on their weapons. "Okay...?" Lindow said, eyeing the Kongou the ground suddenly spewed out. "Not part of the assignment." Even so, it doesn't look like they could simply turn around and pretend nothing happened, since said Aragami just did a good lunging swipe towards them. They went to opposite directions, avoiding the attack.

The Kongou they are currently fighting seemed to have fancied inviting a few more friends over, as more holes appeared on the ground, and different Aragami species climbed out of it. "Figures..." She hissed.

Ever since the installation of guiding devices, the Far East seem to become more and more cluttered with Aragamis. She could remember her workload back at Europe wasn't as heavy as in here, that was until Hematite Rose, of course. Her lips twisted to a disapproving scowl at the thought, before she swung her buster blade straight at the mouth of a Gboro-gboro, and then turned to crush the body of a Zygote into gross pieces. Both Aragamis wailed in pain, the Gboro-gboro backing down a bit, while the Zygote fell down on the ground. Lindow was doing far better of course, in his little feat of strength with the Kongou, and a few more smaller Aragamis. The latter weren't much of a problem to him though, as he easily rammed his God Arc on their throats.

 She whipped up her tower shield, blocking the Gboro-gboro's icy missiles. A crack zipped right in between her legs, and another smash attack from the Kongou finally caused the ground they stood on to collapse. Great, one trouble right after the other. Yuka hurriedly rose to her two feet, thankful no larger debris had fallen over her. Lindow looked well too, as he still had the guts to light up a cigarette while studying the environment. "Guess who has a demonheart..." She sighed, to which he laughed.

"Don't be so cruel to yourself," the man chuckled. "Soon enough, they will find this huge hole, and eventually, us. Eh, or we could find the exit to this... basement? Whatever."

Many of the Aragamis they were fighting were trapped in the aftermath of the collapse, while those that survived had been completely taken down by the pair of God Eaters with ease. "This looks like a connection of the Infernal Subway, no?" The raven-haired man noted, noticing broken railroad tracks on the ground.

Blue eyes looked back at him in confusion. "Really? How could you tell?"

 It was Lindow's turn to give her the odd stare, since they were standing right next to one. He breathed out some smoke, and with the cigarette in between his two fingers, pointed downwards. Oddly enough, the blonde looked startled for a moment, blinking twice before placing her gaze to where the man was pointing. "Oh, right!" She then said. "Didn't notice it."

His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Thing is, this man is too sharp, that Yuka has no idea how to perfectly pretend everything's okay, especially with C in the picture. She decided to simply look around to bring their attention to something else. "Oh no- No, no, no, no, no-"

"What's the matter?" He asked.

The smaller God Eater scowled up at him. "We're not going there—" She pointed straight at the direction they were headed to. "— because there's death in there." When her superior continued to look at her in slight confusion, the girl finally spoke through gritted teeth, "Vajras. Three of them. And well, a Borg Camlann fast approaching them too. Let's go back to the others instead."

It took a few moments of silence before Lindow finally said, "Alright, you're the boss."

* * *

"I don't see anything wrong with your eyes," Sakaki told her. "What exactly makes you say that?" The doctor frowned down at the blonde and her stubborness, but she only decided to reply with the usual "nothing" before giving a curt nod and leaving the laboratory.

Yuka was sure her sight flickered back at the subway. Perhaps she should inquire about it to C instead, regardless of how much it would cost. However, the thought brought her to a sigh, her shoulders slumping down. She can't pay C any more credits at around six digits. It would totally empty her account.

 _"But how can you guarantee that all things she tells you are true? Have you considered that maybe she is just making you dance in her own palm?"_ She remembered Lindow say.

Alright. Maybe C is not a very good option either. Besides, if Doctor Sakaki sees nothing wrong, whether it be with the Oracle Cells or not, then there should be nothing to worry about. It might just be the lack of sleep getting to her head, and all those troublesome thoughts C had been feeding her. With yet again, another sigh, she stepped out of the elevator, and headed for the door right at the end of the hall. Not another word was said when the door was simply slid open.

"Lindow, Sakuya was asking if... what the fuck-"

She was blasted in the face with a bunch of photographs by a surprised Lindow Amamiya, who was standing in front of the door for unknown reasons. "Oh, it's just you," he then said, sensing a bit of relief from his tone of speaking, much to her displeasure. He obviously tried to keep his cool, asking "'Sup?" as they both bent down to pick up the photos.

"Well, Sakuya was..." The girl stopped halfway with her speech, eyeing the single photo on her hand. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "... asking something." The photo was then flipped so that it was facing the fellow God Eater. "And so am I."

His initial reaction was to scratch his head, a common gesture for him, and respond, "What? Can't a man do research in peace?" She didn't look very convinced, especially after the word 'research' slipped out of her lips as a hiss. The man sighed. "For starters, you might want to step in and close that door before anybody sees you. Unless you want both of us beheaded."

After a short scolding in regards to knocking and sniffing in to people's private businesses, Lindow figured out making up a story would not really amount to anywhere, as the evidences were as clear as broad daylight. He sighed, yet again, as the other insisted that he explained the weird photographs and of course, Aegis. "I know for a fact that Aegis is nothing but a bullshit crap, but what the hell is this?" She frowned.

"Tone down that mouth of yours, would you?" He groaned. "Because I have no idea what that monstrosity is either."

She stared down at the picture, the image somewhat resembling the bare part of the God Arc; the one that holds its core, and connects all three pieces of equipment all together. The very core glowed in bright yellowish orange color, indicating that it is alive. Like an Aragami. "A cocoon? A nest?" Something with that unnamed beast ticked an unknown feeling inside her, and simply looking at it sends her head spinning in circles. It was a greater oddity that the figure seems to resemble one thing she couldn't quite put her thoughts on.

Noticing her silence, and how affixed she was with that one photograph, Lindow called out, "Yuka..." to which she quickly whipped her head up, as if snapped out of a daze. His gaze didn't have the usual expression it wore, but rather, a serious one. "Keep this between the two of us."

The air filling the room was as heavy as the responsibility being weighed on her shoulders, and from that alone, it is easy to decipher that this is no laughing matter. Finally, she said, "500, 000 Fc."

"I told you to stay away from C, didn't I?"

Lips twisting to a small smirk, she whipped her gaze back at the weird image. "Does _Onkel_ know?" She asked. "Him being the advocate of the Aegis project and a—" Her words were never finished, after seeing that Lindow had grown serious once again. Obviously, he doesn't. That didn't make the whole situation any better, but worse. Seriously worse.

"If I say no, would you tell him?"

"An additional 500, 000 Fc would keep me shut." However, they ended up both chuckling. "Kidding though. So, to cut the long story short, your dates and 'big' assignments included trespassing into Aegis and... investigating. How interesting." But here comes the ultimate question: Why? Yuka only frowned at the answer she received. "I can't know? Be kind enough to tell me why?"

"One: I don't want to put the life of my team on the line. Two: I don't want any of you to be in a greater danger than you all already are. Three: There's no telling who else in the branch double-crosses their allies for amusement. Four..." He paused, now looking at the pouting God Eater before him. "You are the Director's pet."

She hissed. "I'm not."

"You ran errands for him, don't you? Follow his orders? Do as he says?"

"Don't you do too?"

He fell into silence.

"Besides..." She continued. "... I'm a flower."

Lindow seemed surprised for a moment, but his composure returned and an amused smirk found its way to his lips, as he walked over to gently ruffle the younger's hair. "Oh yeah... a flower. Aren't flowers food for insects? Insects that eat smaller insects?"

She'd never been so baffled. Insects...? Did C knew all along Lindow was gonna say that? What's more confusing was that his words seem conneted to the reply C wanted her to give. Did these two know something else about the 'garden'?

They do, perhaps?

After all, Lindow did warn her to stay away from C.


	13. Demonheart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What would I do if you die?!"
> 
> "Then bury me! How hard is that?!"
> 
> It is only their second date but Soma already wants to commit suicide.

"Soma, I'm really going to jump," he heard her say for probably the third time now, as she stood on the edge of the helicopter's entrance. The girl frowned slightly at the fact that the male still refused to give attention. "You're not gonna stop me?" Soma still did not give any kind of answer, even to that, and so the blonde looked down at the immeasurable drop she is about to take. "I could die, you know."

A piercing glare was sent towards her direction, but the white-haired lad kept himself seated on his seat. "Do you need a push?" Then he smirked slightly, knowing the other wouldn't have the guts to jump out of the heli anyway. At least not from this hei— "What the fuck, Yuka?!" In split second, he had thrown himself off his chair and gotten to where she once stood. He's definitely going to smack some sense into her. His eyes scanned the ground below for any signs of his, dare he say it, partner, but it wasn't very easy with the wind gushing past and some strands of his own hair getting in the way of his sight.

"Aww, you do care, after all.~"

She was holding onto the landing skid with one hand, dangling from the side of the vehicle with a big grin on her face.

Soma was far from amused. What was with her to suddenly give him a heart attack like that?! His disapproving scowl lasted for minutes before he finally said, "Are you nuts?!" Nevertheless, he grabbed her arm in a tight grip, and harshly pulled her upwards. Her grin never faltered, not even in the slightest. He still wasn't pleased. "Don't—!" Soma caught himself, but afterwards, decided to continue in a much calmer tone. "... Don't scare people like that, and stop pulling silly pranks."

"Oh? Soma Schicksal got scared?" She teased, but his male companion sealed the conversation with a hiss. Yuka only chuckled, and started to make a small inspection of her God Arc.

The night sky glittered with a billion stars decorating it, the moon hovering above them and lightening up the heavens a little bit more. Aside from the noises made as the helicopter coursed through the sky, everything else was silent. Unusually silent, considering that he was in the same vehicle with Yuka. Said girl was staring at the wall across her, and he thought she would do so for a while longer that it slightly startled him when she said, "What?"

The lad raised a brow.

"You've been staring,  _aibou_."

Not wanting to admit anything to her, the male simply shifted a little on his seat and craned his neck to the side. Yuka did nothing more than shrug, pulling something out from one of the pouches hanging on her belt. It was a voice recorder, rectangular in shape, and clearly etched in Soma's memory. He had seen it ever since they were kids. Upon the push of a button, a soothing song began to compete with the helicopter's noises, wafering through the air inside. Even that, Soma remembers. It was a song dating back from their childhood, and in all honesty, he never felt so envious of her having even only a voice clip of her mother's voice.

Everything was calming and lovely for the next passing moments, until the song came to an end, and another followed suit.

_"tRagEDy StoRMs hIM WHEn deMONs spare HEr liFe—"_

Yuka nearly jumped off her seat in both horror and surprise, fumbling over the buttons of the recorder she owned. "What the fuck?!" Soma yelled, palms pressed over both his ears now. It was, obviously, a crappy recording of somebody singing right into the recorder's mic, the sounds similar to that of an Ogretail scratching its claws against a glass. Horrifying.

_"— aND aLL dISCoVer SHe haS a DEMonHeARt. DeMONhEArt!"_

The terror came to a stop at the press of a button, both him and his partner staring down at the voice recorder like it had just been exorcised successfully. "You sing like crap," he then said, his voice being the first to break the setting silence.

"That wasn't me!" She immediately retorted, fuming. "It was C! She'd been singing that to me since last week! I  _paid_  her to stop but I didn't know she'd go as far as this!"

Soma pretended not to buy her excuse, and continued to eye her suspiciously. The blonde went off in silence to delete C's terrible recording, with the other saying that it might even attract Aragamis of any sort. His partner snorted, "What could go wrong?"

She jinxed it.

It wasn't very long when their pilot alerted them of weird activities spotted in the radar. A couple of symbols appeared from the bottom of the circle, approaching their location in fast speed. Both God Eaters exchanged looks. "Aragamis?" They asked, and afterwards, "Aragamis." However, there is but one teeny-tiny problem.

"Oh yeah?" Yuka frowned at him upon his declaration that they'd have to engage the enemies while in mid-air. "And where do we start smashing? On top of the copter? Or maybe swing on that landing skid while the other hand goes to crush them? Or maybe you're going to make them line up so we could fight them in the copter, two-on-two?"

The white-haired lad raised a brow, and then pointed towards her God Arc sitting silently in its case. The frown in her face disappeared upon seeing where he was pointing, and was replaced by a sheepish smile of a true idiot. "Oh, right. A New-Type. My job." She grumbled slightly as the latches of the casing clicked. In matter of minutes, she was quickly filling up the magazine of her gun, sliding it in like a drawer once done. Great. How does he expect her to deal with these? She's not as talented as Sakuya. There was a clicking sound, and Yuka discovered Soma had clipped a strap on her belt, while the other end was clipped on a handle inside the heli.

"Just in case you fall out," he snorted. "Clumsy."

"I can't seem to tell if you are truly worried or simply making fun of me." She tugged on the contraption slightly, then looked back at him. "Maybe just worried. You love me that much?" As she slid the headband of the scouter over her head, she walked over to the door, and the copter angled slightly for a better view of what was to come. It was a herd of Zygotes right at their tail. "You think C's singing really brought them here?" The blonde asked, shuffling through her bullets.

"Who knows?" He grumbled, eyeing the flock.

To ensure that the target is hit, the bullet would have to be laser-type. But to deal damage to many Aragamis at a single shot, and inflict greater damage, it has to be bomb-type. She fired.

A string of red light shot out of the sky like an incoming meteor, landing right at the center of the flock. As soon as it did, a huge explosion occurred, scattering and distracting the Aragamis like they were a flock of true birds. From that distance, both God Eaters could hear the pained and angered shrieks of the Zygotes. Very few spiraled downwards, most probably the ones hit head-on. Yuka shifted slightly, grunting at the inconvenience of the situation before letting go of another shot. The skies lit up in a reddish glow, as another series of explosions covered the flock from their sight.

Trying to keep herself upright was already a pain in itself, and aiming for the enemies didn't make it any easier for her. The group of enemies had began to diminish bit by bit, the white specks in her vision slowly disappearing. She remembered seeing those same specks back at the subway with Lindow, only they were bigger, and shaped much like a Vajra's silhouette.

However, she's certain her vision works perfectly well, and she even turned to Soma to check. The male scowled at the sudden attention he was receiving, even threatening to kick her out of the copter. No, Soma was as clear as day; blue hood, white hair, tan skin and same frowny face.

_What the hell is happening to me?_  Her face scrunched.  _Maybe I need to use the sleep. Err... what?_

"If you keep on spacing out like that, you'll have us all killed."

"Says Moonboy who always stares up at the moon in the welkin," she retorted, allowing another bullet to fly, which nearly went out of aim as Soma, fuming slightly, pressed a foot against her back. At the first few seconds, she didn't mind, but then the pressure came and her God Arc almost slipped out of her hands. Reflex truly is one of the greatest things in the world. If it is not, Soma would probably be plummeting downwards for the retrieval of her weapon. Fucking Soma.

As soon as the last of the Zygotes had been taken care of, the helicopter returned to its track for this surprising night mission. The chopper dropped them off in a location Yuka found familiar, but it was not that easy to tell with her vision often going just black with little white dots. Why is that even happening?

It wasn't until she saw a huge hole in the ground did the place clicked back to her head. It was where the First Unit had the recent clean-up operation. "Can I check my gear first before we head down?" She politely asked, for reasons unknown. Her tone, however, quickly changed to that of a sarcastic one, as she added, "Don't want to be an additional baggage you could just kick around."

Of course, the male God Eater only snorted.

* * *

 

"You're blocking the view." Sharp blue eyes narrowed at the female, who stood behind him with her body bent forward, casting a shadow on his figure that remained seated.

Yuka grinned down at him. "As I always do, Moonboy."

On rare occasions, he would have snapped back at her or at the very least hiss, but instead, he only pulled his hood down to conceal the smirk tugging on his lips. "Tss..." His partner chuckled at the response.

They both ventured down the darkness of the subway. It was still baffling why they had to do a special mission here, and why at night, but are they even in the position to ask? Soma never questioned his father, so Yuka didn't bother.

_Wait a minute,_  she thought. It's night, and just the two of them. "Hey, Soma," she called out. The other didn't stop from his tracks, nor give any kind of response, so she deemed it was safe to go on. "This is not a date, is i— AH!" The two-meter blade swung right above her head, the blonde ducking to avoid collision. She was surprised when blood poured all over her from behind, only to find that a Zygote had sneaked in behind her. She would have been Aragami chow if Soma hadn't done that.

The Aragami's body laid tattered, and slowly began to melt away in the darkness after they devoured its core. "You do realize that Lindow's report stated the existence of three Vajras inside this place, right?" She frowned. "What exactly are we risking our lives secretly for?"

"For an Aragami..." He grunted out.

"Everyone finds Aragamis on every damn corner. What kind are we here for? The Singularity?" Her gaze refused to falter even after those sharp blue eyes sent piercing glares towards her direction. Then, he clicked his tongue. "So, we really are after the Singularity?" The blonde asked again.

Their scouting resumed, Soma being a few steps ahead. "How did you even know about it?" He honestly was not expecting that. Although information regarding both the Singularity and the Devouring Apocalypse weren't exactly kept secret by Fenrir, most of the God Eaters in the Far East Branch barely have an idea, or could not care less.

Their footsteps echoed in the emptiness of the underground. "I have most of Dad's journals, papers and recordings." Silence wafted through the air, whilst her words hang. Afterwards, she sighed, adding, "...  _for safe keeping._ "

The friendship of their fathers date way back, even before the outbreak. They both worked for Fenrir when this madness began, along with their mothers and even Paylor Sakaki. Eventually, with the exception of the latter, they started Mánagarm Project, which resulted to the death of many, and the pair of God Eaters standing amidst the darkness — the hybrids of human and Aragami.

"But no one knows what the Singularity looks like, nor its capabilities as an Aragami. Searching for something like that is like looking in utter darkness, which is literally what we're doing right now." She propped up a small flashlight from her belt, and flicked it on. In addition to that, she still has yet to figure out what exactly was C speaking of about something she has that the Director needs. The questions are only piling up. "If we happen to engage it in a fight, assuming we do find it, there's no assurance on our chances of subduing it. We might even end up dead if it proves itself to be a really powerful one." Considering it has the special core that could trigger the Devouring Apocalypse, then it is only logical to believe that its strength and abilities are far beyond from the normal Aragamis they fight every day.

_Why does she always have to be correct at things like this?_ The white-haired lad grunted at the thought. Yuka was not entirely an idiot as he thought she was. Regardless of the risk, he— they, would have to carry on with these assignments. But somehow, having the most important core under the care of Fenrir gives an assurance that no apocalypse will occur any time soon.

"Unless..." She began, index finger lightly tapping against her lip in deep thought. He didn't get to hear a word of it though, as Yuka shrugged, dismissing the idea completely.

As he was to inquire about it, a soft, humming noise interrupted him. Both God Eaters' ears perked up in an attempt to locate the source of the noise. "It's impossible to see clearly in this dark," she noted with a frown. Besides, what kind of human in their sane mind would casually come around humming inside an Aragami's Den? The humming went on, and the further it did, the more they recognized the tune. It was the song playing a while back from Yuka's voice recorder. It was, according to her father, the song her mother loved to sing to them.

" _♪_ _♩_ _~ If no flower that won't wither exists..._ " The blonde began to join the humming in a soft voice. " _... then you should plant another seed. ~_ _♬♩_ "

Was the song really that popular?

" _My life...~_ _♩_ "

" _mY LiFE fOR YOu~~_ "

The pair visibly flinched and hissed as they recognized the horrible sound, and the even more horrible singing voice. As soon as both the singing and humming died out, Soma angrily whipped up his Buster Blade, growling at the darkness. "I'm gonna kill that basta—"

If Yuka hadn't pulled him back on the right second, his body surely would be laying flat underneath the paw of the Vajra that appeared before them, along with two others of the same kind. They bared sharp teeth on the pair, to which the infuriated male replied by smashing his God Arc against the first Vajra's face.

The second one retaliated through summoning a ball of electricity and sending it straight towards their direction. They rolled over to avoid the attack, Yuka once again pulling Soma over to her, so they remained hidden behind a piece of debris that obviously wouldn't last long. Whatever C did to attract these beasts to them, Yuka remembered to praise her for a job well done. Said pale girl never ceases to give them a good way to get killed. They would have to find a diversion and escape, report to the Director that C's horrible singing brought them to another near encounter with their good old friend, Death.

"Sit still," the male told her in a low voice. He was about to stand up, but Yuka grabbed him down.

"Are you nuts?" She growled. "Do you really wanna die?!" They came upon an intense glaring competition, neither wanting to lose to the other. If she let go of that arm, he'd surely go off and die. "You're not gonna die.  **Not on me.** "

He clicked his tongue in defeat.

A dome of electricity began to form right at their feet, prompting both to skid away in speed of light, with Soma tossing his stun grenade in the air. It took effect before the attack could even be completed, effectively cancelling the latter. However, Soma refused to listen to a brat. When was she placed in charge anyway? He stands a step higher than her in rank, meaning, she has no authority to boss him around.

As soon as the grenade took effect, Yuka tried to cover as much distance as possible, but her partner had a different idea in mind. The temperamental God Eater was swinging his massive weapon at any of the three that would come too close. "Soma!" She called out. "That's not— Soma! Come on!" She stood there, waiting for him to follow the plan. He didn't.  **Fucking Soma.**

He was surprised to hear a pained yelp from one of the other Vajras. He whipped his head to the other direction, only to find that Yuka, in so much irritation, had smacked the Aragami in the face so hard with her blade that the head plate it wore visibly cracked. "Fucking listen to me!" She growled out at him. "Don't be so stubborn!" The Vajras grew even more agitated than they originally were, pouncing on the God Eaters aggressively. Surely, there is an answer on why they are, but first, she would have to take care of this stubborn partner of hers. "What would I do if you die?!"

"Then bury me! How hard is that?!" He yelled back.

Her shield deflected the Vajra's Grand Lightning, and then she spun to hit the Vajra that was to strike from behind. "Well, fuck you," she hissed at him, biting the safety pin off her stun grenade and throwing it into the scene. The Vajras' movements momentarily stopped, and she took it as a chance to grab him in the arm tightly and drag the protesting Soma Schicksal away from the area.

It took quite a run to reach above ground, and seeing that it seemed to be a safer place than underground, they decided to give it a rest. Soma sat there, staring up at the sky clad in dark hues lit up by moonlight. Her hold on his arm was so tight that it actually hurt slightly.

Yuka was still catching her breath, her legs aching so badly. She was nothing but a total mess, sweat trickling down the sides of her face. Her body leaned onto him for support, face buried on his shoulder. Her hand no longer held him in the arm, but instead kept a firm grip on his own. Her fingers were shaking. "Look," she then said after a moment of silence, not even lifting her head up. "I'm not going to bury you. You're the one burying me, and make sure you put the fun in  _fun_ eral." And then she chuckled. However, it obviously was not a joke.

"Don't... be silly."

* * *

 

"... Interesting," the pale girl smirked, amused at the report flashed by the terminal. She had, of course, hacked into the information database of the Far East, and was thoroughly studying the report made in regards to the recent assignment. "It looks like everything is going as planned, no?"

There was no reply from the radio, turning her smirk to a malicious grin. "Well then, it's almost time to blow some shit up. Play time is nearly over, and things are getting fu-uh-un~"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Demonheart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izpqDWN5iVQ)
> 
> [My Life](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYpLQ9Akj9Y)


	14. Unconscious Reaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You just got here. Why are you yelling at me already? Calm your tits. The Aragami's not dead yet."
> 
> "But Yuka... I don't think Soma has... nevermind."
> 
> "Oh, alright. Calm your dick then, Soma. Or are you going to tell me he doesn't have that either? Ohoho."
> 
> Wherein Soma is two seconds away from murdering a certain blonde pest.

_"You're the one burying me..."_

The white-haired male huffed at the words suddenly crossing his mind. He wasn't even trying to think of anything, but somehow, that one particular set of words had been stuck in his head. What was she even thinking?

As if having read his mind, a voice behind him spoke, "1, 000, 000 Fc." He need not to turn around to figure out who it was. Just by the voice, and the words it left was enough to give away the answer. Soma only grunted, choosing to ignore the pale girl and instead continue with his walk. "Oh, come on," she whined, faking a small pout. "It isn't too much, is it? At least not for you. I'll tell you every bit of what your girlfriend is thinking."

"I have no time for your games, C."

C snickered. "You sound like your father just now, don't you know?" The male huffed angrily at the comment, but continued walking. "You seem to have become a bit nicer to me," C added. "On a different... occasion, you would have mercilessly kicked me into the nearest wall. I wonder..."

He didn't know what she was talking about, but Soma clearly wanted to clobber C and rip her from limb to limb out of irritation. After all, she was the cause of mayhem during his recent mission with Yuka. Her song recording brought forth a flock of Zygotes, and although it wasn't really much of a trouble, they had to deal with them, which was annoying, to say the least. Second, the scouting was interrupted by a trio of agitated Vajras. "What were you doing there anyway?" Logically, where there is C, trouble brews.

"Oh, just visiting a... friend, or something. Did you hear me sing, Moonboy?"

"Don't call me that!" He hissed.

The smaller girl pouted. "Not fair! Why does Yuka get all the privileges?" She even puffed out her chest and cross her arms. But seeing that the tall male has no intentions of buying her acts, C eventually said, "Are you sure you really don't want to know? I mean, you would never get it out of Flower herself, no matter how hard you try."

The way C's lips twisted to its mischievous smirk remained ingrained on Soma's head, and the annoyance it builds from within him only added greater force to his attack — ruthlessly tearing its way through the body of the amphibian Aragami. "Oh, one more thing," the pale girl added. "I'd keep my eyes on her  **this time,** if I were you. Don't want to make the same mistake again, do we?"

C is fucking hard to understand, and the more he tried to, the greater frustration it brings him. He is stressing himself over C's words about Yuka; things he should not even care about. Sakuya from the back yelled a command or two, which pretty much dissolved in the midst of his jumbled thoughts. It wasn't that long until he found the time to stop, blue eyes glaring down at the decaying Gboro-gboro on his feet.

"There had been more of them lately," the orange-haired scout noted with both a tired sigh and a frown, adjusting slightly the beanie he wore.

"And even more aggressive than usual," Sakuya added as she lifted her sniper gun over her shoulder. "The Aragamis are becoming harder and harder to take down. I think it's about time for a pay raise, or at least some improvements in rations."

"Hardly," Soma spat, the disgustingly sweet taste of custard pudding still fresh in his mouth. However, he couldn't bring himself to disagree with the Vice Captain. Something seemed to smell fishy in the Far East, that keeps Aragamis agitated. Even the three Vajras, he remembered, were no different.

Kota looked worried for a short moment, turning to both his superiors. "Eh... With that kind of situation, you think it is a good idea to let Yuka and Alisa on a mission together? I heard they were up against a Borg Camlann, helping Alisa recover and all."

A small confident smile crossed Sakuya's lips. "I'm sure they'd do just fine. If they aren't, they would certainly be asking for help."

* * *

 

They weren't.

"Alisa, watch out!" And once again, she had thrown herself to push the frozen Russian away from the incoming attack, their bodies crashing down together on the bare, solid ground. The blonde hissed, the skin on her exposed knee scraped to leave a wound. Yet, she forced herself to stand up, dragging her comrade with her. "I promise I won't be a baggage to Soma anymore," she mumbled, pushing Alisa over to take cover before the Borg Camlann could take another tail spin. "... Are you alright?"

The silver-haired God Eater tried to catch her breath, looking over to the other. "I... I'm sorry..."

Yuka's eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Maybe engaging in a real battle isn't the wisest thing to do after you've just been discharged. Let's call this one off and try the training simulation instead."

" _Nyet—_ " The Borg's screech interrupted her response temporarily, probably frustrated at the fact that its two preys had disappeared from its sight. "Simulations are different," Alisa continued. "... completely different."

The older female sighed. Well, yes, they are very different in more ways than one. There's the fact that they could die out here in the field if this kind of performance continues. "But you know I can't keep on pushing you out of the way forever, if we at least want to get this mission accomplished." Alisa stared back at the scratches all over the other's face, the gashes and bruises on her arms and legs, plus, her scraped knee. "And the thirty-minute mission allotment is almost over." It was not helpful that the only radio they have had been broken. Sooner or later, Hibari might assume something has happened.

"I'll do better..." She promised. "Just this once, please, Yuka-san."

The Borg Camlann had given up trying to find them, and instead had been running around, looking for anything else it could feed on. By the time the God Eaters decided to engage against it, it was already indulging itself in a meal of dead Ogretails. As it was busy doing so, Yuka took the chance to summon her predator, unleashing it straight towards the unsuspecting Aragami. Loud crunching sounds emanated through the air as the predator's mouth clamped against the scorpion-like body, tearing most of its outer covering. To be honest, it didn't do much but gain the Aragami's attention.

It howled at their direction and began to stomp towards them. Alisa then proceeded to fire a salvo of laser bullets towards the Borg's mouth, causing it to stagger momentarily and pause on its tracks, which the blonde used as an opportunity to release the Charge Crush. A purple wave of energy bathed in blood red light sent the Aragami a few more steps back, breaking its leg scales and shield and tearing the ground in the process.

Alisa's fingers were still shaking as she resumed fire, Yuka disappearing behind the smoke created by her recent attack.

The blonde sprinted up to strike the Borg in the face, a sudden pain somewhere around her shoulder cutting the attack short. Instead, she landed back on the ground and did a quick spin, whirling her buster blade and smashing it against the already broken shield. "Shit..." The burning sensation forced her to carry her God Arc in one hand.

After jumping to avoid another tail spin, she prepared the second Charge Crush, but as she was to let it go, another one sent it flying straight to a tall building, which led to its crash. "Soma!" She beamed, the smoke clearing to reveal said God Eater along with Sakuya and Kota. Much to her surprise, the male stormed up to her like an enraged Aragami.

"Why the hell are you taking so long to finish one fucking Aragami?" He asked in that cold, low voice that still hinted annoyance. He eyed her wounds, and afterwards scoffed. "Figures."

The other two approached them soon, Sakuya expressing worry over their mission. Alisa followed suit.

Yuka disapprovingly scowled. "You just got here. Why are you yelling at me already? Calm your tits. The Aragami's not dead yet."

Kota held back the urge to throw a fit of laughter, especially since Soma refused to retort. Yuka smirked victory, but the Aragami behind had already began to recover. "But Yuka..." The orange-haired lad called out. "I don't think Soma has..." His words immediately drifted off upon noticing the white-haired male glared daggers at him. "... nevermind."

Yuka's grin grew menacing. "Oh, alright. Calm your dick then, Soma." Her eyes hinting every devilish bit she had inside her, she turned to Kota, who was beet red from holding in his laughter. "Or are you going to tell me he doesn't have that either? Ohoho."

Even Sakuya laughed.

* * *

 

Unusually aggressive, easily angered, and far more agitated.

Paylor mauled over the words. "There are factors that affect Aragami behavior, like how there are for humans. Example, the Bias prevents the Aragami from devouring something of their kind. Harsh weather and climate force them to adapt, evolve even. And there are other reactions that turn them to completely different species. Quadriga to Tezcatlipoca, does that ring a bell?"

Yuka grunted over the memory, but easily shrugged it off. "Then it is possible that an undetermined reaction makes the Aragamis behave differently lately, is that it? The true question here is what the source of that reaction is."

For unknown reasons, some kind of force draws those beasts to the Far East, and clearly upsets them. Even after years of extensive research in the field of Oracle Cell technology, the doctor believes that the possible cause of this might be something never seen or heard of. After all, there is still a lot that they do not know. "But are you really thinking hard about this case when there's a bigger problem laid before you? I'm talking about... your growing infection. It seems that the Oracle Cells inhabiting your body are also making an unusual reaction."

... An unusual reaction.

Could it be that it is about time to look at these problems from a different angle? After all, she never considered viewing them as the same or even related. What if they are...?

"You really did that?" Lindow chuckled as he asked her, after seeing her walk into the lobby and sit by them. It seemed that Kota was story telling their leader on how she got into Soma's nerves earlier today.

The white-haired hooded male snarled from his seat across the raven-haired adult, Kota being the one in between. C was sitting there as well, spaces from Soma, her lips twisted to an amused grin. Lindow laughed once more when Yuka confirmed her actions. "She got you good, no, Soma?" The other growled a  _'fuck off'_  under his breath. "But you could have turned the tables. Learn a thing or two from your Leader!" He proudly grinned, but the boy was not buying it. "Like, _'Do you want to see for yourself?'_ would be a nice comeback."

As usual, C could not keep her big mouth shut. In between her laughs (which sounded like she was a retarded seal or something), she said, "But I'm sure Yuka had seen that already. She grew up with Moonboy here, didn't she?" The pale girl, and the two males eventually, whipped their head to the blonde, surprised to see that she was as red as her clothes. "You haven't?" C asked, before a snapped Soma tightened his fingers around her neck.

All three God Eaters struggled to pry C from the infuriated Soma's metal grip, and once they did, the small girl was hacking, yet still smirking.

"I'm not an exhibitionist like you who prances around naked even when I was a kid," he snorted.

Yuka rolled her eyes. "Oh please. You loved skipping around in the tune of It's A Small World After All in your pajama pants. We were five."

"I did not," he hissed, eyes narrowing.

"Shall I go ask the Director then?"

Suddenly and by surprise, the Director's voice rings out from the speakers. "I'm afraid it was more often done with The Farmer in the Dell than It's a Small World." There was a click, signifying the message was over.

" _The farmer in the dell~_ _♪_ " Lindow began to sing with a grin.

"Stop it."

" _The farmer in the dell~_ _♩_ "

"Fucking stop."

" _Hi, ho, the derry-o, the farmer in the dell~_ "

"I'm out of this fucking place."


	15. Infection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lenka vowed to become a God Eater and rid the world of Aragamis.
> 
> But he certainly didn't ask for this.

It was not a secret to everyone in the Den that as of late, Yuka and Soma had been trying to get into each other's throats more often than usual. The usual teasing between them had turned to bickering every now and then, the male God Eater never failing to make retorts at the other's words, rather than keeping silent like he used to. Everyone else in the First Unit noted how irritable the two had become as of late, especially when they are out on the field. Lindow could only scratch his head, clueless. "One moment, they're chummy and all. The next, they want to slit each other's throats," he remarked with a shrug.

Whatever the cause was, it certainly affects their behavior even towards their comrades, and everyone else inside the branch.

"Red day?" C teased with a smirk, but the blonde only continued to walk past with a 'hmph', arriving later at the laboratory. The pale girl chuckled slightly as the other female disappeared behind the door, before she added, "No exceptions, huh?"

Dr. Sakaki was seated in front of his computer, continuously typing in data from the keyboard with the usual odd smile in his face. It was a sight Yuka had become used to. The only difference was that Utsugi Lenka was also present in the room, silently seating on the couch west of the door. She decided to settle down on the one on the other end of the room, the furniture sinking slightly underneath her weight.

Silence wafted through the air, the only sound being made was that from the keys being pressed, and occasionally, Yuka tapping a foot against the floor. Sakaki seemed to be too immersed to be bothered. She cleared her throat — twice she had, in fact — but the doctor's attention never faltered away from his screen. The deafening silence only continued to murder the two God Eaters.

"You could have quit this job," she then said, causing the raven-haired God Eater to turn to her direction. The senior was obviously talking to him, but he didn't remember telling anybody else of his current condition. Much to his surprise, Yuka turned back to him before cocking her head over to where the doctor was seated. "He told me."

Lenka shifted slightly in his seat, eyes wandering over to the odd discoloration in his right arm. It stemmed from his Armed Implant, bursting in vivid orange and purple colors. Dr. Sakaki gave him three years to live if he retires. Otherwise, he'd die an early death. "I would die either way," he answered. "I'd rather die a meaningful death."

"Perhaps if you were one of us..." He was certain that was what the blonde mumbled upon shifting her attention away from him. It was not exactly clear what she meant by that, and judging from the female's behavior as of late, asking no more is a wiser choice.

Yuka continued to speak while Sakaki is still busy. Apparently, even in her current mood, she still can't stand dead air. "It looks like the armlet suffered a cell overload, and even the current bias factor could not contain that much amount of Oracle Cells. As a result, the cells in your body go haywire the more you wield a God Arc, which would eventually consume you." After a sigh, her lips pursed together, and her arms crossed.

Wasn't that exactly her case?

Yuka's eyebrows furrowed at the thought, mind drifting off as well. Her prototype God Arc forcibly transfers Oracle Cells into her, which, by then, should cause an infection similar to that of the verdant-eyed male. However, it wasn't what was happening. Sakaki mentioned once that the nauseous and sick feeling she had in the past were caused by her body failing to keep with the continuous change. That means, her system, somehow, copes up to the increasing number of Oracle Cells. It tries to adapt.

But why...?

She threw her gaze back at the younger male, only to find him far more interested with his infected arm. Instead, Yuka turned towards the other male. "Doctor." He replied with a small 'hmm?', so she deemed he is with them and it is safe to go on. "Aren't we suffering the same kind of infection?"

Lenka appeared surprised with what he had heard, even more surprised to learn that the female is infected as well. She showed no obvious signs of it, which made it pretty hard to tell.

"Not entirely," answered Paylor. "Yours is much more often triggered when your God Arc attempts to store a core. A core holds Oracle Cells too much for it to contain, that it resonates with you for cell transfer. In Lenka's case, the cells continue to take over his body even when idle, and quickens when wielding a God Arc. This would eventually lead to death. On the other hand, that kind of ending is still undetermined for you." He studied her for a moment, before returning his attention to the screen. She fears her situation poses a greater danger than death. "High compatibility rate usually comes with other useful abilities, so hearing of death through it is still quite rare if you ask me."

He could only stare back at the two in utter confusion.

Yuka took the liberty to explain, even though she looked completely confused as well. "Like every other science breakthroughs, the Bias Factor administered by Fenrir at present went through many experiments and tests. The P56 injected on you today is the successor of the P73 w— I was born with. It provided high-compatibility rate and regenerative abilities to its test subjects. Unless you stand in the same boat as I do, there is no concrete explanation on why your compatibility rate caused an overload of Oracle Cells." She sighed, realizing she was giving him more questions than answers. Yuka couldn't put the blame on him. Even her own head is spinning. And the details from C aren't even included yet. "But that's impossible because you are two years younger than me, and Mánagarm was shut down even before I was born."

He is not part of that project. That, he could confirm. He looked back at his arm. No regrets. No resentment. Nothing. He was happy to have helped the people around him; the people who made his life worth living. "If you're from that experiment, what is your case, Yuka-san?"

Her face became stoic at the question. Lenka thought he had just offended his senior, but when she parted her lips to speak, he knew he was getting the answer he wishes to hear.

_"Iron_ ic,  _isn't it?"_

The somewhat sarcastic chuckle of his senior was still as clear as day in his head.

* * *

 

"Is that  **my**  shirt you're wearing?"

Maybe if it wasn't year 2071. Maybe if the Earth wasn't infested with monsters they call Aragami. Maybe if they do not constantly struggle for survival. Maybe if this was a different universe. No, really, maybe if the one who just asked that question wasn't the pissed Soma Schicksal, all those words would have been much more affectionate.

Yuka pulled her head out of the lower cabinets she was poking her head into, revealing the piece of bread in between her teeth. Just by seeing the tall male immediately caused her face to scrunch. "Yeah?" She frowned. "Got a problem with that?" She glared back at him, but everything was intentional. She was in the mood to make his fuse explode. The blonde stood and walked away from the counter, straightening the yellow shirt he wore, replacing her usual red Assault Coat. Perhaps she would have to get much more concealing clothes if she doesn't want Soma finding out anything. Definitely. Whenever C stops terrorizing her credit account so she could have enough money to have new clothes fabricated.

The tanned male hissed at the sight. "Didn't you hear the orders?"

He speaks of the recent assignments handed over by Major Amamiya, and Lindow's immediate command to 'get those lazy meat lumps moving for work'. Yuka half-heartedly groaned out against the huge stuffed bear's fur, which Soma quickly snatched away from her arms. "They're waiting in the pod."

Much to his greater annoyance, the blonde only scuffled out of his bed, walking over to his closet. She pulled out an exact copy of the blue hood he was wearing, only to put it on herself. Sharp blue eyes narrowed to dangerous glares. Yuka only grinned.

"Just to remind you, it'll be your own clothes that will get ripped!" She yelled, as Soma pulled her by the hood and dragged her to the God Arc storage room. Yuka almost face-planted against the terminal screen upon being shoved, Machines geared to work as the technology recognized the DNA from her armlet. Groaning in complain, she took Knightfall.

Lindow and Sakuya stood before the helicopter, the former appearing to make an aggravated sigh upon seeing the other pair emerge from the door. "Stop fooling around," the white-haired God Eater glowered at his blonde companion.

"Kick my lazy butt," she frowned.

Their superiors visibly reacted at the sight of him lifting a leg to do as she said, and they would have come to rescue if Yuka had not been fast enough to dodge. The male huffed, proceeding to their vehicle.

"You ought to take care of that partner of yours," their Leader said as he climbed up the chopper, gently placing down the case of his God Arc by his side. "It's hard to find one that lasts these days..."

Soma only frowned even more.


	16. To The Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The First Unit in their first mission against a thunder cat, where they step into the prologue of a nightmare.

"They really are weird," Kota mumbled to the raven-haired God Eater by his side. However, Lenka appeared to be in deep thought that he was slightly startled when the redhead turned towards him. Kota cocked his head over to the pair seated on the other side of the jeep's back.

Yuka was contently looking through the 'cell phone' with a popsicle stuck on her mouth. Moments ago, she had successfully sneaked beside the white-haired God Eater and stuck her head under his arm. Kota remembered Soma grunting slightly at the action, but that was that. No more violent reactions.

Funny because they were biting each other's heads off a few days back. It was so much of a hassle that even the great man Lindow Amamiya was giving up on getting them to reconcile. "Looks like there's calm after the storm," the green-eyed God Eater replied with a relaxed smile. At least, that is one problem crossed out of their list.

_"We received orders to eliminate a Vajra!"_

That is another one.

Yuka suddenly frowned, staring at the mission details flashed by the cell phone’s small screen. She threw a quick glance to where Lenka and Kota were seated, discussing something amongst themselves. Perhaps it would be alright to let them into this mission. After all, these two had been through a lot as well.

From the driver's seat, Sakuya began to give them pointers. "We would have to eliminate the Cocoon Maidens first, as they could become annoying when dealing with the Vajra." Four are scattered all over the area of the abandoned city, but getting them out of the way should not pose much difficulty. "We'll split into two groups and finish them. Afterwards, we would search for the Vajra."

That shouldn't be very hard either, especially if the Aragami gets to find them first. Despite the large area the City of Mercy covers, it would still be easy for a monster as huge as a Vajra to find a bunch of God Eaters blasting down smaller Aragamis.

"This is our first mission as a team against a Vajra, so make sure to stay wary of everything and don't go off on your own," added the veteran sniper.

The blonde nudged his hooded companion. "Hear that? Stick to the plan," she snickered. The male growled slightly, once again glaring daggers at the smaller God Eater.

As Sakuya continued to point out a few reminders for the team, Lenka reached over to his tightly sealed God Arc case, one that Dr. Sakaki handed over to him prior to them leaving the branch. He hadn't opened it until now that he unclipped the latches on the side of the case and lifted the cover open. The two teenagers exchanged puzzled looks upon what they saw. "It looks like your old one," Kota noted as the other reached out a hand to take the weapon.

"Yeah," Lenka agreed, confusion evident in his voice.

From Soma's comfort, the blonde spoke, "That's only for temporary." Two pairs of eyes turned towards her. "Dr. Sakaki said it might take time to actually produce a God Arc flexible of adjusting to your... current situation, so he decided to design one similar to your former weapon. That would only be until he finishes repairing your actual God Arc."

"Would this not break like the first one?"

"Oh, of course not. At least that is what we both hope," she answered. "That one was slightly altered, to contain the same adaptive properties as..." She paused, shifting slightly on her seat and relaxing her head against Soma's arm. Her eyes left the younger God Eater for a mere moment. "... my P73 Bias Factor." She clearly heard the white-haired male's breath hitch. "But as I said, that is only temporary, until Dr. Sakaki finishes his work. He was really into it, you see."

The small message of her wry smile reached him with not a single problem.

" _When I end up thinking about it, I realize it's actually kind of scary. Knowing your death is inevitable, but you just don't know when. It somewhat makes me paranoid enough to imagine that this breath might be the last."_

Her smile was quickly replaced by the usual confident grin of hers, as she turned towards Soma, holding tightly onto his arm. Lenka saw the older male lean down to the level of her ear, probably whispered something that obviously changed the female's expression.

"What's in it for you?" The gruff voice sent heavy chills that jolted up her spine.

She quickly averted her gaze. "Nothing," she whispered back. "Should I ask for anything in exchange of helping to save the life of a comrade? The least I could do for all those who died under my care."

Soma frowned. "How would a curse even help Utsugi?"

She stifled a laugh, lightly elbowing the male's chest. "It would keep his Oracle Cell mutation in check, and probably allow his body to even adapt to the growing change."

"And if it does, what would that make him, a human-Aragami?"

"Pft."

Icy blue eyes narrowed ever so slightly. So now there are three of them hiding something from him? Old Man Sakaki, Yuka, and Utsugi. The male hissed, glaring daggers at nothing in particular now. Silence filled the entirety of the trip afterwards, Lenka and Kota marveling at whatever wonders this temporary God Arc might bring.

"But wouldn't you consider every God Eaters to be part Aragami?"

"Hardly," he spat. "Don't lump them with us."

She snickered. "Oh yeah, we're like the Winter Soldier kind."

He didn't seem to get the reference, as he turned to the other with an eyebrow raised. Yuka frowned slightly. "The Winter Soldier? X-men? Super humans? God, we need a NORN movie marathon." She even pressed a palm against her forehead in a dramatic manner, as if it was a big deal. Who has time for movie marathons anyway? Just that silly Bugarally alone could get Kota sleeping through his lessons. "No beer, even if Lindow begs." The blonde even raised a hand, as if some sort of promise gesture. Well, the last gathering that involved alcohol didn't really end well, and he still hasn't forgiven her up to this moment.

"No thanks."

* * *

 

Sakuya couldn't seem to let them go on their own. "Are you sure it will be alright?" She questioned with a sigh, her gaze shifting from Soma to Yuka and back. There's actually no telling if this getting-along of theirs is simply a facade they are trying to put up. No one wants them arguing in the middle of the battle, even if it can't be helped.

"We're good," Yuka answered, loading a handful of blaze bullets into the magazine of her Dawn Riddle. "We only have thirty minutes, so shall we get a move on?"

Somehow, that convinced the Vice Captain. "Alright. We will patrol this area, and the two of you take that side, okay? Report immediately when you are done."

"Roger," the hybrids answered in unison.

As expected, eliminating the Cocoon Maidens from the scene was no trouble at all. It only took a few good minutes of their time, and now, the corpses of said Aragamis are beginning to decay, slowly disintegrating to nothing but a black mass. "And now, for the Vajra," the blonde sighed.

Soma said no word, and simply stood there, God Arc on shoulder.

"Hit me if I'm wrong," she began again. "But doesn't this place feel a little bit — I don't know — different today? There's this unusual tick I'm having again."

Again, the male made a mental note of the word. He frowned. "An irregularity?"

He watched her hop off the double platform where the Cocoon Maidens used to be, and walked to his side. The blade of her God Arc pierced the bare ground, as she used it for support, placing an elbow atop the handle's pommel. "Kind of. An aberration in Oracle Cells that may cause unpredictable reactions to different Aragami species. They might not even realize they are being affected by it."

"Like changes in behavior. Evolution, and even mutation."

"Precisely," she smirked. "But it is quite difficult when you know a lot but you still don't understand it."

"You would have to figure out the influencing factor then."

He nearly strangled her to death upon hearing her response. The girl, with her smirk now a proud grin, turned her head to his direction, and proudly said, "I sound pretty smart spouting senseless science, no?"

"Would have been believable if you had not said that."

Yuka laughed, properly picking up the weapon she used for support. Afterwards, her finger pressed lightly against the gadget on her ear. "The Cocoon Maidens had been taken care of. We'll just check areas I, L, M and N before we regroup."

She began to walk towards the empty building to the west, a section of the larger church separated by fallen debris. Sunlight poured through the glass stained windows. The coast is clear. "You're not doing very well in hiding it, you know," he noted.

" _'On another note, you're never good on doing anything at all.'_  Is that what you plan to say next?" She scowled, walking out of the premises of the church.

"You're hung up on their deaths. Hematite Rose. A Borg Camlann and a Vajra."

"Soma," she spat. "I don't think you've ever been too attached to people to actually understand. There were four of them, all younger than me. Kids. Viktor was only fourteen, having been a God Eater for only months. And then fate just snaps the line right there." He only huffed. "Why am I even discussing this with you? You wouldn't understand. You never cared enough for anybody for their deaths to matter to you."

He opened his mouth to retort, but instead, out came a question. "Where did the theories of irregularities in Oracle Cells came from? They weren't exactly senseless science, were they?"

"What are you saying? That was Dad's field of expertise. He studied discrepancies in both developed and under-developed Oracle Cells, their causes and effects. Anything that is unusual from what the Director and Dr. Sakaki studied." By the time the sentence was finished, both were heading towards the building across the church. "I even remember him talking about rare cases of people being born with Oracle Cell infection. There was this girl, I remember. Sie... rra...? Sierra... Declaine? I think that was what her file said."

Soma took a look around, his eyes adjusting at the dim light of the poorly lit building. There was nothing there either.

"I wonder where she is now..."

"Dead, probably," he grunted.

"How rude!"

The white-haired lad raised a brow. "You said she was suffering an infection. She has very little chances of survival, if you ask me."

"I hope she's okay," the girl could only mumble.

A series of loud rustling sounds emanated through the air, alerting both God Eaters and causing them to straighten up. The rustles were followed by a couple of thundering steps, and crunching noises. The pair exchanged stares.

It's the Vajra.

"From the other side," Soma told her, dashing out of the enclosed structure and into the final area they should be checking. Yuka followed suit, now filling up the magazine of her God Arc with a couple of purple-colored ammunition. The blonde almost bumped onto him when he suddenly came to a stop, eyeing the feeding Vajra inside a much bigger building. "Shouldn't we tell Sakuya and the others first?" She asked.

The only response was a small huff, as the male pulled his God Arc back, angling himself slightly and eyes narrowing at the large Aragami. Whilst Soma worked the Charge Crush, Yuka shuffled through her bullets for a divine bomb type. Afterwards, she spoke, "Kitty has been found. We're about to lure it out into the open."

"Roger."

As soon as the other's line was cut off, a large wave of blood red-purple matter coursed towards the unsuspecting Aragami. Its initial reaction was to yelp and hiss in pain, then try to scare off its assailants with a thunderous roar.

The sight quickly registered in the blonde's blue eyes. "I remember you," she hissed. Soma seem to have the same idea.

The Vajra growled at the pair, its broken face plate only heightening its bad ass meter. Its left horn-like protrusion from its face possessed a clear crack that traveled downwards. The 'crown' on its head also had a running crack on the similar side, on that ventured down to its eye, probably held together by Oracle Cells that kept themselves intact.

"You're from the underground," the blonde growled.

Enraged, the Aragami pounced.


	17. Moon and Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soma could probably list down a million and one reasons why he hates that woman.

Getting the Vajra to back away with a salvo of divine bullets didn't work the way she expected it to be. The force of its body slamming against the flat of her shield compelled Yuka to press her own body against the wall behind her, before she rolled away from the incoming balls of lightning.

The Aragami's attention shifted to the God Eater striking it from behind, but another shot of Shadow Haze brought it roaring back at her. At that time, she began to back out of the narrow alley into the open ground, Ground C. "Soma! What the hell?!" She yelled at her partner. "We're luring it out! OUT!" Thus, the greatest Vajra-tug-of-war began between Soma who (still) refused to listen, and Yuka who tries her hardest keeping the Aragami's attention on her alone.

It seems that Soma's mood turned sour in a click. It isn't helping though!

Yuka frowned, losing to the male God Eater rather quickly. "Look," the blonde hissed, radioing the stubborn man. "You know who's the more competitive between the two of us." The reply she received was but a small grunting noise, seeing that he was too busy dealing with the Vajra to even make up a sassy reply. "And when I say it's mine... it's fucking mine." A triple shot of Shadow Haze made the Vajra flinch, losing its own composure momentarily before it glowered at the feminine assailant.

It growled in rage, chasing after her to the open ground. Of course, it easily managed to catch up to the running God Eater through big leaps, which Soma tried to prevent by striking the Aragami repeatedly with his blade. It didn't do much though, the Vajra too focused on slaughtering the New-Type. It took a huge leap and landed right before the female, who was at the peak of her running momentum. Yuka failed to come to an immediate stop, only edging closer to the Vajra as it raised its claws to strike. Just in time, Sakuya, Kota and Lenka appeared from behind the walls of the abandoned church. As soon as the three of them saw the Aragami preparing for its strike, they all worked with their guns, sending a variety of bullets soaring straight to the enemy. The sudden salvo of explosives somewhat surprised Vajra that it lost focus once again, not quite sure which of its attackers to slay first.

By this time, both New-Types had switched to using their blades, engaging in close combat battle with the Vajra, alongside Soma who was making attempts in striking the Aragami head-on. The raven-haired God Eater caught sight of Soma's expression growing even more irritated, as he, with full murderous intention visible in his blue eyes, swing his two-meter Buster Blade right at the direction of his female partner.

Yuka dodged the assault with a victorious laugh, and yelled something akin to "Bed it is then!" Is it really a good idea to be enraging him in the heat of a dangerous battle? "Eyes on the kitty,  _mein_   _schnuki_!"

Soma smashed his blade right into the face of the Vajra — rare chance that it was. The Aragami staggered in both pain and surprise, but the Oracle Cells binding its head remained intact, despite the damage on its head plate present even before the battle began. If he could get another chance like that, he surely will be the victor of that hastily made deal. He kept a tight grip on his buster blade, keen in waiting for another opportunity.

The Vajra pounced right on Sakuya's direction, who managed to step away and avoid direct impact. However, the turmoil caused by the landing sent the sniper's feet wobbling for dangerous seconds, and she almost was sliced to pieces if Lenka had not rushed in with his shield. The two, and Kota, were obviously much more wary as the chaos continued, and the remaining pair wasn't doing that very bad either.

That was until she started to cuss.

She began to dart away from the Vajra's attack range, reaching over for the pouch hanging on her belt from the back. Empty. The smaller pair of casings does not contain any bullets, as it is packed with consumables and health pills. She then bent down slightly to reach for the lone pocket strapped on her right thigh. There were little noises, probably just a handful of bullets left. With another cuss, she flipped the lid open and grabbed the purple-colored ammunition, loading all of the Shadow Haze she had left into her gun. Immediately, the bars on its sides glowed in the corresponding color. With that, she fired. A radial burst of light erupted from the ground, just as when the Vajra leaped off to perform a back flip. " _Verdammt_! Sit still, would you?!" The gears clicked, and the gun morphed to its blade form. She pushed herself off the ground, closing in to the Aragami, and dealing a crushing blow on its back. It didn't do much damage to the cape, a common knowledge to every God Eater. Stupid idea, of course. The God Arc shifted in form once more, and she let go of another Shadow Haze, straight into the monster's feet. The Oracle Cells present on its legs shattered to pieces. Yuka flashed her partner a victorious grin.

Soma can't afford to lose. It's his bed at risk here! Behind him, Utsugi provided cover with continuous rounds of homing bullets. Occasionally, he would fire Shadow Haze, which Yuka crafted before the mission, but of course, having never used that kind of bullet before, most of the time, he'd just miss, much to the provider's aggravation. He dashed out of his former spot, as a field of electricity appeared on the ground, enlarging to a dome before releasing a strong wave of energy. Sakuya kept yelling instructions at them. Kota was keeping the Aragami at bay with flashy Divine bullets. Well, he was trying to. The Vajra's attention was focused on all three melee, angrily making attempts to clutch at least one of them. Soma could clearly hear their sniper shouting at Utsugi, who had once again gone into his heroic tries to place the large monster's full attention at him. "Idiot," Soma mumbled, just as he unleashed the Charge Crush straight to the Vajra's legs. It staggered and collapsed on the ground, struggling to rise back up.

Somehow, now looking down at the fallen Aragami washed away the annoyance building inside him since the battle began. It felt like dealing with it was no trouble at all, as the Vajra laid sprawled, unable to counter them. Soma's blue eyes met the Aragami's in a cold stare, as it continued to make attempts to stand in its feet again. Still, he kept his guard, in case it decides to release its final breath through a fatal attack. The Vajra only stared back at the God Eater, as if trying to predict his next actions.

Sakuya, Lenka and Kota took the chance of preparing themselves for any outcome, refreshing their Oracle reserve through O-ampules and regaining health back with Restore Pills. Yuka looked over to the hooded male's direction with a rather annoyed huff.

Slowly, the lad's pursed lips stretched to a smirk, as he lifted his massive blade to strike the downed Aragami. This mission is too easy — far too easy that it is almost suspicious. However, Soma is not all the time the type of God Eater who lets an easy SSS+ just go to waste.

If he hadn't been half-Aragami, the force that greeted him with such surprise surely would have crushed his bones to pieces, not to mention he was pummeled straight against the nearest wall. "Dammit," he growled, holding onto the back of his head and hissing in pain. His reaction, however, quickly changed to that of surprise, his skin brushing against a damp, cold area of his shirt. It looks like the Vajra got him pretty good, huh?

Soma must have thought that one out loud, and what surprised him even more was that a different voice replied.

"Not quite."

Yuka coughed, causing Soma to look down at her, before his eyes darted over to the rest of their teammates running towards their direction. The Vajra was now nowhere to be found. "Oh god," gasped Sakuya. She dropped her sniper gun and knelt beside the pair, taking a closer look of the wound. The others helped the blonde slid away from the male God Eater, shifting to lean against the wall. Lenka reached over his own pack of items, assisting her into plopping a couple of pills to her mouth, but Yuka laughed him off.

"You know that won't do shit, right?" The trail of blood from the edge of her lips did nothing to make the situation any lighter. Despite that, she took the medicine, with Sakuya's insisting. She gently moved the younger female's hand away from the wound, the pool of blood continuously growing larger and larger. Her current state was far more horrible than when they fought that regenerating Tezcatlipoca — hair a complete mess, blood on the edge of her pale lips, eyes obviously in pain, jacket torn that it now revealed the white bandeau she wore underneath, skirt drenched in her own blood. The lacerations traveled diagonally across her stomach, spouting more red fluid as time continued to pass. "You should get back to the Den," suggested Kota. "I'll call Hibari to send in a chopper."

For once in his lifetime, Soma has to agree with the redhead moron. She was in no shape to fight anymore, and Lindow surely will give her a good laugh. No matter how hard Sakuya tried to cover up the wounds, the bandages only keep getting soaked in blood, which doesn't make her attempts to smile any convincing. "I'm going to be fine," she told them, wiping the blood off her chin with the back of her hand. "The job request said this is a now or never, so you can't waste precious time on me, no?"

Even if it was so, Soma would rather return to the branch with a failed mission this time. He grunted in frustration as he went to pick up his buster blade. Regardless of what they say, Yuka would not listen to any of them, being the stubborn brat she is. "I'm not going to die, silly," she laughed, as a response to Lenka voicing out Soma's — everyone's concern. Afterwards, she averted her gaze from all of them, staring down instead at the bloodstained bandages around her waist. "At least not today."

Sakuya was still very worried that she turned to the redhead by her side. "Kota, stay here. Soma, Lenka and I—"

"Nah," the blonde quickly cut off the Vice Captain before she could even finish. "As I said, I'll be fine. I'll catch up to you guys when I feel better."

Both rookies exchanged looks, while Sakuya only sighed, finding it unbelievable that she would be fine in a few moments without receiving medical treatment. "Let's go," Soma told them.

It hadn't been very long since the team left to finish the runaway Vajra when the lone blonde looked up at the sky and spoke, "You are up to something, aren't you?"

A figure stepped away from the wall that concealed her figure, and smirked down at the girl in bandages. "Me? Nope," C replied. "Do you really see me as the manipulating villainous character?"

"Isn't that exactly what you are?"

"You're crueler than I thought. Has the reaction already gotten to your head too?" The pale girl asked with a smirk, which, as usual, confused the female God Eater. "Come on; don't tell me you can't feel even only the slightest of it?" The environment fell silent for a moment; although she is sure the others are engaging against the Vajra somewhere in the city. Yuka looked up at C. "Well?" C was grinning now.

"Tch."

"Oh wow, you sound pretty much like Moonboy now!"

"Why are you even here?" Yuka finally asked, holding onto her God Arc and using it as a support to at least bring herself to her feet.

"Fate, you see, is going to pick out flowers from his garden," answered the pale girl. "He's been planning for this for quite a while now."

Really, C's little symbolisms do nothing but confuse her even more, although, for the past days, Yuka has been getting a gist of all of them. "... pick out some flowers...?" She asked, brow raised. C had given her the nickname 'Flower' since they met, but now, she speaks of someone else. Probably.

"This particular flower kind had been... a thorn in his side, so naturally, he has to get rid of it for good, before it terrorizes the entire garden," explained C. Yuka opened her mouth to say something, but the smaller girl immediately cut her off by continuing, "And no, you can't do anything, Flower. As I told you, things would roll the way Fate wants it. It can't be helped."

"Why are you telling me this then?"

"Don't you want to at least say a proper farewell? Oh, if you want to do something about that wound..."

* * *

Soma still hasn't gotten off his mind the fact that this particular Vajra, even back at the underground, had been unusually strange, which is what makes it more difficult to deal with.

The audible cracking noises indicated that he had completely unbounded said body part, which would make the enemy much more vulnerable. The man smirked proudly to himself, as the Aragami staggered backwards and howled in pain. That didn't get them to stop though, as Kota and Sakuya resumed fire, and Lenka focusing his blade attacks on the Vajra's tail. Soma unleashed the Charge Crush, sending the large cat beast a few more steps back.

 _Whatever_   _comes_   _up_ ,  _just_   _slash_   _it_   _to_   _hell_. Yeah, right. Regardless of how big or dangerous it is, it'll surely go down in just a few good strikes — or maybe one, even better. He swung his blade.

And it did go down. The Vajra that had been the source of his irritation was, this time, at the verge of its death, desperately clawing at the ground. For real, just one last strike and it's over. His comrades nodded at him, a signal for the completion of their mission.

The voices of his teammates calling his name out and the Vajra's pained yelp registered on his ears, as he, once again, was swept off his feet, and made to eat dust. That was definitely a bomb attack! Could it be a Chi-You?! He quickly rose to his feet, scanning the area for said avian Aragami.

He found none but Yuka Ichinose, now using her God Arc in gun form to keep herself upright. She grinned upon noticing his glares, and said, "Kill steal." Her other hand pressed against her stomach, over the area of the bandages doused in blood. She was obviously still in pain, but probably not as severe as it was earlier. "Whoever deals the final blow... gets the bed, right? You're sleeping on the couch, Soma."

"You cheated," he hissed.

Much to his annoyance, the only reply he received was the blonde brat winking and blowing him a kiss — meaning she had planned it from the beginning. She's a C 2.0. The rest proceeded to extract the Vajra's core, while he could only mutter endless curses under his breath.

"Let's take another round before we go back," Sakuya said.

As they patrolled the city one last time, Kota would not stop talking about how 'good' he was back there, though he really did nothing than blast the enemy with flashy bullets. "Okay, this is the last area we need to cover," Sakuya then said.

"... huh?"

* * *

She snickered, swinging her legs back and forth like a little kid. "Things are about to get interesting." She then turned to the other figure by her side, which only tilted her head and continued to watch with round golden-yellow eyes. "Don't you think?"

"In... teresting...?"


	18. Gentian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Save some of that beer for me, would you?"
> 
> They were gentian flowers.
> 
> Rindō.

The raven-haired man's initial reaction upon seeing them was: "Oh, looks like you were beaten up pretty good this time, too." Afterwards, he chuckled, to which the wounded blonde only gave a low grunting sound as a response.

"What are you doing here, Lindow?" Sakuya then asked in confusion. It was highly unusual to have them sent another team in a single area without prior notice. She then proceeded to check the details of the mission, provided by Hibari. Everything was neat. 'Moon in the Welkin'. Check. 'Location: City of Mercy'. Check. And it tasked them to eliminate a Vajra, which they just did. "That's... funny."

The unit captain made a brief re-check of the data given to them, before he turned back to the rest of his team. "This is the area we were asked to check," he answered, scratching his head. "At least that is what the job info says."

They exchanged confused looks, until Hibari's voice finally came up from their radio. "I'm sorry," said the operator. "There seem to have been some mistake in the database." Soma could only raise a brow at the reply they received. In their kind of job where they place their lives at risk one hundred percent all the time, Fenrir has the guts to make an error? Even only a tiny bit of discrepancy could be fatal to the God Eaters. "It looks like Lindow and Alisa were supposed to be inspecting an area close to the City of Mercy. I'm... not sure how this could have happened."

Their Vice Captain sighed. "It's alright. We shall just finish the rounds and all head home." There was a click, and the line was cut off.

"Do this happen often?" Lenka asked his superiors.

Soma immediately scowled.

"That translates to 'No, it doesn't, and it shouldn't,'" Yuka answered. "Those kind of errors could easily send a rookie to their death through an Ouroborous." She was to add more to that but Lindow decided to cut her off, saying they still has patrolling to finish so they all could head back. No one appeared to object, so he took the lead from there.

"We will check the inside. You guys keep on the lookout."

"Roger."

It hadn't been very long since Lindow and Alisa disappeared into the insides of the abandoned church, when Soma noticed his blonde comrade continuously tapping the heel of her shoe against the solid ground. Not rhythmical tapping, but annoying, quick-paced taps. At first, he willed himself to ignore it, but it proved itself far too irritating for his short temper that he snapped, "What are you doing? Do you want to pee?!"

Yuka looked mortified for a moment at his words. Even Sakuya and the others were surprised of his sudden reaction. "No..." She replied. "But there's..." She clicked her tongue and turned away from him, now staring at nothing in particular. There was this... this...  _something_  again. Something akin to that odd feeling she had when they fought the double-cored Chi-you. It is there, but placing her finger right on the answer is quite impossible. "Ah-!"

The white-haired lad would not deny he internally panicked upon seeing her flinch and drop her God Arc, now pressing a palm against her left ear.

"Yuka! Are you alright?!" asked Sakuya.

There was a strange buzzing in her ear, and it brings forth a bit of pain, if she might add. The Vice Captain tried to at the very least help, but all Yuka cared for was the irksome sound and to grab her fallen God Arc with her free hand.  _"The battlefield_   _is_   _cruel,"_  she remembered a superior from Europe said.  _"Once you are tired and cornered, unable to regroup or find a room to breathe, shaking in fear for your lives and desperate for survival..."_

_"... That's when it will bare its deadly fangs."_

"From above!" Yuka and Soma yelled in unison, the former pushing Sakuya out of the way to deflect an Aragami pouncing from the rooftop. The force swept her off her feet, just as an explosion erupted from inside the building, the Aragamis around them slowly increasing in number. Yuka could hear Soma yelling at Sakuya and Lenka to go see what had happened with the others.

They were surrounded.

Everything was becoming more and more unusual. The Aragami before them was an unknown species, and although it resembled a Vajra in terms of body type, it instead had a feminine face and blue cape. It also was capable of firing icicles at them, instead of lightning balls. So, did that something brought them here? The female Vajras' continuous attacks forced the three God Eaters to back away, closer to the building where a different chaos is raging. Soma swung his blade at the one that jumped towards him, but it quickly dodged the attack through a back flip.

"Alisa! What have you done?!" Sakuya's voice echoed through the emptiness of the building.

"W-What's going on there?!" Kota yelled, as his own gun fired non-stop at one of the female Vajras. They all wanted to turn and see, but that doesn't sound the ideal act to spend their final breaths on. The war outside kept raging on, its noises drowning out easily any noise from the inside. One jumped to pounce on the younger God Eater, but he was quick in avoiding it, the beast now within the premises of the church. More gunshots then erupted, as those inside kept themselves from being trapped by the Aragami.

Even in the midst of the noise, Yuka could clearly make out their Leader's voice. "Sakuya, take Alisa and get everyone home," he was saying. Wait, what? She fired a barrage of Shadow Haze to keep the Aragamis at bay, and turned to Soma. He was gritting his teeth, as if refusing to accept those new orders. "I'll keep these guys occupied for the time being."

"That's stupid!" Soma growled, smashing his saw blade at the face of the Aragami.

Of course it was a stupid idea! They can't leave anybody behind, especially not in this situation! But even with that said, they all knew that if they don't leave this place at once, they will never get back to the Den in once piece.

 _"Don't you want to at least say a proper farewell?"_ The words flashed in her head like lightning during a storm. C couldn't possibly mean...? The possibility of it being true only brought the girl annoyance. Yuka raised her shield to deflect more of those icicles, but as soon as she lowered it, she found one Aragami leaping towards her. " _Fick_ ," she cursed.

Soma had never seen anybody do  _that._ In the midst of the chaos, he got the rare second to take a breath and watch. The Oracle Cells keeping its feminine face intact had completely been unbound by a mere punch of Yuka's bare left fist. Lindow had, he'd witnessed, blocked attacks from a Kongou with only his bare hands, but never unbound the Oracle Cells. Even with Yuka's status as an Aragami hybrid, he never thought it was actually doable. The beast growled in a mix of pain and anger, its rage further fueled with Yuka hitting it once more on the face with a strong Charge Crush. "Where the fuck are you going?!" He asked, noticing her attempting to leave the scene and swinging her blade at anything that dared block her way.

Her reply came through the comm-link. "This section of the church connects to the other side. If we could clear the obstruction there, we can get him out!"

Is she insane?! All by herself?! Against these Aragamis?! It's too early to die!

It was not easy getting out of the area though, with these female Vajras refusing to provide an opening. Their time is running out! They have to leave, or else they'd die. "You're wounded, _dummkopf_ ," he hissed. "Stop trying to be a heroic ass." Lindow was yelling even more orders from the room that trapped him in, and it wasn't long before Kota, holding Sakuya by the arm, and Lenka, carrying a dazed Alisa on his back, came out. "Let's go!"

"No, Soma!" She insisted. "You don't understand! He's our leader! We have to get there and back him up!" He knew where she was coming from, but there is no time to deal with her and grant her death wish! "We have to—"

"It's an order!" This time, it was him who threw the stun grenade and held her arm firmly.

"B-But... But..." Tears visibly pooled at the corner of her blue eyes, her lips quivering as she tried to make up a retort. It's not like they had a choice...

* * *

"He's coming back, right?" Kota asked, though his voice showed no signs of assurance. "I mean, he's Lindow.  _The_ Lindow." As much as Yuka wanted to agree with him, they could never deny the fact that said man is still human, trapped in a building alone with an Aragami kind they never saw before. They should have stayed and helped him out.

Their ride home was silent, as no one dared to speak a word. Even Kota, who was usually the life and noise of their unit, had his mouth shut and head low. Upon receiving the report, Tsubaki had assured the First Unit that the others will work twice as hard to return both beacon and God Arc.

They all doubted that. After all, Fenrir only cares for the God Arcs.

The news about Lindow spread like wildfire inside the Den, enveloping their former sweet home in a cold, heavy air. Though they managed to return alive, that was not enough reason to celebrate. As soon as they crossed the Den Gate, C came skipping towards them, wearing the most sickening grin ever. "So—" She didn't get to finish her sentence as she flew back to the railings of the lounge, after her face met Yuka's fist — the very same fist she used to unbound the Oracle Cells of a female Vajra's face. Everyone else fell surprised at the sudden outburst, and even more when the pale girl only laughed.

"That's for Lindow," the blonde hissed, and she stormed her way to the section elevator. Soma narrowed his eyes at the fallen female, but only scoffed before following his comrade. Sakuya, Kota and Lenka only stared in disbelief.

C knew all along! She knew all along but she decided not to tell her! Maybe... Maybe if C told her all about it, then... then maybe they could have done something about it! Prevented it from happening even! It was probably her who caused the error! Most likely! "What does she even get for doing all these?" Yuka was trying her best to hold back her sobs, in an attempt to keep her confident facade before his childhood companion. She was failing horribly.

"Amusement," he answered. "Personal amusement."

"This can't be an accident. This is  **not**  an accident." She scowled.  _"Fate, you see, is picking out flowers from his garden. He's been planning it for a while now."_  But surely, if C truly is behind this, she would rather say 'Devil' instead of 'Fate'.

The elevator stopped at the Veteran's section, where both got off. Up until there, silence dominated the air, the two God Eaters heading for their separate rooms. Yuka was surprised to have found a vase sitting still by the table before the window, filled with deep blue trumpet-shaped flowers. "What...?" Leaning on the vase was a piece of paper.

リンドウ, it said.

They were gentian flowers.  _Rindō_.


	19. Kiss of Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon a single shot, the chamber was enveloped in smoke, fragments of whatever flying everywhere. Only when did the smoke cleared out did he realize what those fragments were — metal scraps and a few chips, along with some rock and broken concrete pieces. There were also glass shards, metal rings and a few more scraps that surely will find their way in the junk or, if lucky enough, Licca's stash of items that can be reused. The large crater by Yuka's feet held what remained of the hidden technology.
> 
> "Is that...?"
> 
> This time, her face clearly showed a mixture of disdain and anger. "... A guiding device."

"Well, that didn't go exactly as planned," C was saying, with that same smirk plastered over her extremely pale face. "Human mind and emotions... are truly unpredictable."  

There was a short moment of silence from the other line, faint sounds of keys being recognized by her senses. "Nonsense," the other then spoke, causing her smirk to grow even more malicious. "All ended the way it was planned to be. The process is not that of much importance."

The pale girl chuckled softly. "Then I suppose that one is next, huh?" C took the other's silence as an agreement, and she continued to speak, "We'll see about that." She could imagine the other raising a lone brow at her words.

"You will not interfere with my plans, Sea."

"As I said, we'll see about that. It's not you who is to decide this time." She let out a small laugh, much to the other's annoyance. "Fall is just around the corner, and your flowers will be withering soon." With that, she ended the call, still smirking as devious as ever.

* * *

"Lindow's going to be fine, right?"

It's been days since the Moon in the Welkin accident, but none of them had really gotten any good news about their lost leader. The blonde refused to meet his eyes, her hands clasped together as she fiddled with her fingers. Soma knew that gesture. He knew that once again, she was trying to be hopeful regardless of their current situation. The male only craned his neck away from her with a small 'tch', quite far from the answer she expected to receive.

No one knows what happened to Lindow after they left. The Search Unit could not even track down his own armlet. All of them, the First Unit especially, could only hope that Lindow will come back alive like he always does, even if it deemed impossible. Soma, however, did not want to give Yuka any more false hope or empty promises. This scene was like a repeat from seven years ago, when she asked if everything will ever be alright. It was a mistake to answer 'yes' and even a greater mistake to promise that if it wouldn't, he was going to make sure it will be. "Why are you asking me that?" He snorted with a frown.

Her hopeful expression shattered to a million pieces at the unexpected response. It wasn't that Soma doesn't care about Lindow, it's just that he doesn't want to get his hopes up again in regards to impossible things. Yuka was quick to recover from the blow she received, now smiling sheepishly at him, "Right..." before exiting his room.

Hibari greeted him as he went over to her counter. "Good morning, Soma. There are now a couple of new missions available for taking." Somehow, the operator manages to keep a bright and uplifting aura around her. At least, not everyone in this place is fucking depressed. He leafed through the assignments listed on her computer, and decided to sign himself up for one to at least get some burden off his back. The redhead operator looked puzzled for a moment upon seeing the details he placed in. Well, seeing him take a companion to a mission was already odd enough. "I'm sorry, Soma, but Yuka hadn't logged back in nor submitted a report in regards to your earlier mission." She was surprised to have found the male looking at her with his lips agape. "But... didn't you two go for this other one just... a few minutes... ago...?" Her words drifted off upon seeing the same confused look she was receiving.

Bullshit. He hadn't seen Yuka since she left his room, how come would they be doing a mission together — just moments ago? And if she hadn't submitted any report yet, it only means she is still out there. Hibari went over her own computer, pressed a few keys, and turned back to him. "I-I'm sorry. She said she has an assignment with you and will take the initiative to inform you but—"

"Which one was it?" He quickly demanded. He was even more surprised to find out that it was a special mission. Wise Girl knew Hibari has no access even on them, and only the Director gives that kind of crap. He doubted the operator would have any idea of the Aragami or the location.

Though, a strange feeling in his gut was telling him where exactly to start looking.

Infuriated, the male God Eater headed out.

The City of Mercy was already littered with corpses of small Aragamis when he arrived there, but that didn't stop any Ogretails or Zygotes from coming through to feed on whatever they could find. If it's just them, then this should not become much of a problem. At least not to him.

He then began to tear his way through the multitude, ripping apart the bodies of the Aragamis closing in to him. It honestly was not very difficult, as he had been into extermination assignments before, this one not being any different. Soma swung Evil One right through the body of the Zygote swooping down from above, and spun to strike a pair of Ogretails head on.

If Yuka really is around here somewhere, shouldn't she be at least helping him rid the area of Aragamis, or at least be fighting some of them on her own?

... unless she's dead.

Soma was quick to shake the thought off his head, as he smashed his blade right through the back of a Zygote, splattering blood to every possible direction and earning a bloodcurdling scream. He wouldn't accept death by an Ogretail. That's bullshit! (Eric is a different story. Period.) Besides, he is yet to see any sign of that just yet.

A deafening screech brought Soma's divided attention where it is much more needed, and he effortlessly crushed the body of another Zygote. The Aragami fell down on the ground, its body twitching in pain.

_"Another martyr from Soma's team."_

_"First was Eric, now it's Lindow?"_

He gritted his teeth, glaring angrily at the Aragami sprawled on his feet.

_"So the rumors are actually true?"_

"Dammit," he cursed, finishing the last Aragami with a final crushing blow straight to the stomach, its body laying mutilated before him. "Fucking dammit."

* * *

"How far... would one go for their dreams, their goals... their loved ones?"

"I don't have time for that bullshit, Yuka. Let's go back."

He found her in the main chamber of the abandoned church in the city. The debris blocking the entrance had been cleared by the Search Unit days back, and sunlight poured from the huge opening in the wall, and the church's stained glass windows. The place was a whole lot more serene, no sign of the tragedy it witnessed not too long ago.

But what is she doing here? Investigating Lindow's accident? The place was as clear as the day.

Yuka had completely ditched that hanging Assault Top for a black Sniper one, matching it with shorts similar in fashion to C's, but different color. Soma wondered why all of a sudden, but then again, her fashion choices aren't his problem. "Yuka—"

Her immediate response was to stab the ground with her Buster Blade, chipping pieces of the chamber's flooring. It was only then that he noticed the blank expression drawn over her usually lively face, dull blue eyes staring down at the ground with a hint of dissatisfaction. "What are you doing?" He asked with a frown. But the blonde female only repeated the action, this time with much greater force that created a deep crevice on said flooring.

The annoying buzz present on his ears had died out, much to Soma's confusion. "Just as I thought," she finally said, bringing his full attention back to her. "Don't you find it odd that Aragamis gather in the Far East lately?" Of course, he does, but eliminating them is a much bigger problem placed in his hands, and on those of his fellow God Eaters. The God Arc switched to its gun form, and she began to leaf through the set of bullets loaded into its magazine. The list stopped on an unnamed bullet, the sides of her blast gun now glowing a bright red.

Upon a single shot, the chamber was enveloped in smoke, fragments of whatever flying everywhere. Only when did the smoke cleared out did he realize what those fragments were — metal scraps and a few chips, along with some rock and broken concrete pieces. There were also glass shards, metal rings and a few more scraps that surely will find their way in the junk or, if lucky enough, Licca's stash of items that can be reused. The large crater by Yuka's feet held what remained of the hidden technology.

"Is that...?"

This time, her face clearly showed a mixture of disdain and anger. "... A guiding device."

* * *

Tsubaki was surprisingly calm when they had returned to the Den, although her eyes hinted the great rage building up inside her, ready to explode at the push of a wrong button. Yuka was taking the lecture in an equal amount of calmness as well, much to everyone's horror. She would often pout and cross her arms like a child whenever this happens, but today is just different. "You disobeyed orders, and tampered the mission data, just to go sneak out of the Den for your own selfish desire," the older was saying. "What if something happened and no one knew where you were?"

"But nothing did."

Green eyes narrowed to piercing glares. " _THAT_  is not the point, Ichinose Yuka."

All these sudden changes within the First Unit is caused by an issue that's not a secret to everyone — Lindow's disappearance. Sakuya's depression, the unusual gloom of their team, and all these crap Yuka is pulling off. It isn't surprising though. Lindow was a person everyone looked up to. No wonder the accidents bring a large-scale change inside the Den.

"I'm afraid the higher-ups had spoken. They will not tolerate such act."

> _2071, August_
> 
> _Suspension. God Arc confiscation. Entrapment in a small room with nothing but a bed and a table. Even access to the Terminal had been forbidden. Until this is over, the records and reports would have to be kept somewhere else._
> 
> _What was the guiding device doing there, I can't tell, though I'd have to praise whoever placed it there for a job well done. Surely, in the heat of a battle, it is impossible to pay attention to details that barely stand out. I would have to pay more attention to the surroundings from now on._
> 
> She paused, stared blankly at the wall just across her temporary bed, but said no word.
> 
> _Though I highly doubt it will happen ever again, unless..._

"Unless what?"

Lenka's voice caused her to jump up in surprise, and being the embodiment of clumsiness, dropped her precious recorder and kicked it by accident as she tried to pick it up. The gadget skidded right past the bars of the cell in by the feet of Utsugi Lenka. "Stop scaring people like that, would you?" She frowned, taking the recorder the younger male had picked up.

"When we heard that you were down here, we really were worried!" Kota exclaimed, holding onto the metal bars and squishing his face through the gap, making his speech a bit muffled. "What happened?"

Yuka's lips pursed to a straight line, turning away from them. "I... checked on a few things outside. Honestly, it would have gone pretty well if Soma wasn't that much of a tattletale." The two didn't seem to buy that, but none of them said a word in regards to that. The blonde took it as a clearance to ask, "How is everything going?"

"Lindow was declared MIA," the raven-haired New Type answered. His eyes clearly showed how against he was about the higher-ups' decision. "According to them, they couldn't trace any more signals from his armlet, and they assumed it was broken or lost."

Kota's face was shrouded in gloom, as he added, "And, well, without a working armlet, his chances of survival are... zero."

"That's true," she agreed. "The armlet connects the God Arc and the beacon, ensuring the latter will not be devoured by Oracle Cells. If Lindow decided to fight with his God Arc and a dysfunctional armlet, chances are... he's probably dead by now."

Silence wafted through the air, guilt weighing their chests down. Maybe they shouldn't have left Lindow back there; stuck to the 'all-or-nothing'. Will they all be like this if they did such? "I suppose Sakuya isn't taking this news very well..."

"You're right," Kota answered with a sigh. "In fact, we haven't seen her come out of her room since the Tsubaki told us about the news."

Well, that's not a surprise. The accident was a pretty big blow to them. Honestly, Yuka would probably be ripping all her hair out and would have gone crazy of the same thing happens to Soma. "... and Alisa?"

This time, it was Lenka who answered. "It doesn't look like she's getting out of the sick bay any sooner. Visitors are still not allowed up to now, so we don't really know much about her condition."

"I see... Good luck to you guys then." It hadn't been very long since the two younger males had left, when she slumped back down on the bed. "Please don't ever do that. You're going to drive me nuts."

Soma scowled in disagreement. "Who do you think is driving who nuts?"

"OH. So I drive you nuts. Sweet."

He hissed, crossing his arms at the other's little comebacks. "Don't you plan to tell them?"

Much to his surprise, she laughed. "Sometimes, you really have the talent in making me laugh. If I do tell them, what do you think they'll do? They would investigate, love. You know that could lead to something even more dangerous, right? I don't... I don't want to give Sakuya and the others any more troubles. Not until I have it all fleshed out."

She was about to add up a few more, but was immediately cut by the sound of a different voice's laughter. "Good luck with that, Flower."

"I'll have you know that I still haven't forgiven you," she scowled.

"What are you up to this time, you bastard?"

C faked a pout. "How cold, you two," the pale girl spoke in a hurt voice. "After I went through the trouble of informing Flower about it beforehand. None of you could have prevented it anyway, even if you risk your life for it." Her attention shifted to the blonde girl behind the bars. "Didn't I tell you that things would go as fate has planned, and flesh it out? Oh, please. How much more do you have to look into the details? Don't you—?"

Soma was perturbed to find blue eyes narrowing dangerously at the smaller female. "C.  _Don't. Fucking. Dare_ ," she glowered. Her hands clenched into fists, her voice lowered to a threatening tone. Unfortunately, it didn't do much but delight C, as she threw him a meaningful grin before walking away.

"Dare what?" He asked, once the hooded female was out of earshot. C is extremely dangerous, and there is something between her and Yuka that he doesn't know about. That should be enough reason to get worried.

"Nothing."

He eyed her in suspicion, but the only thing she did was turn away from him and rest back on the bed.

* * *

> **_From_** _: C_  
>  **_Subject_** _: Check this out._  
>  **_Message_** _: I found something interesting._

"When do you not?"

> _VIEW ATTACHMENT?_  
>  **_YES_**  
>  _NO_
> 
> _OPENING ATTACHMENT..._

The file was a document, greeting the male with a wide array of unreadable text and symbols. They appeared to be some sort of program code. The document must have been corrupted during the process of C "obtaining" it. Nevertheless, he began to scroll down past the corrupted codes.

He found what seemed to be a progress report, albeit most of the document text must have been corrupted during the transfer. Luckily, there was a portion of the trash that was pretty easy to decipher, despite the symbols and codes in between.

> _The continuous positive results received only shows that the project is going perfectly as expected. The assumed physical side-effects are still yet to show, which is another good sign. As for now, the subject proceeds normally, showing no signs of the project externally._

" _As_   _for_   _now_..." He mumbled, scrolling back up and down to see any date. What if this one is pretty recent? Too bad his luck seemed to have ran out. There was no date.

_If this progresses as planned, there might be no need for the original._

"The original? Original what?"

He tried to scroll down further, but there were nothing else that would amount to anything good. In the end, he received more questions than the answers he had gotten. What could C be planning by showing him this? Is she playing around again?

> **_From_** _: C_  
>  **_Subject_** _: Don't forget!_  
>  **_Message_** _: ... to delete that once you're done! You wouldn't want finding out that others had illegally downloaded your files too, no? Ciao~_

"I don't have time for your games."

> _DELETE PRJIRIS-report?_  
>  **_YES_**  
>  _NO_
> 
> _DELETING FILE..._
> 
> **_FILE DELETED._ **

Soma frowned, staring blankly at the terminal screen.

"IRIS...?"


	20. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What... do you know about something called IRIS?"
> 
> "Oh. The flower? Really pretty, no?"
> 
> "Yuka."
> 
> "What? You asked me what I know!"
> 
> "You're hopeless." He snorted, and simply walked away with hands in his pockets.
> 
> A small smile crossed her lips. "I'd rather be hopeless than clueless."

Soma never wanted to be involved with C in any way. Heck, he doesn't even know where the hell she popped out of. However, at times, there are just inevitable things, like having said annoying pale girl standing before him right now inside his room, like the trespasser she is. "Out."

"That's sad. I have an offer to make."

"Get. Out."

C simply pretended not to hear him. "Ten million credits." Soma could only raise a brow at the amount C suddenly spoke. Is this for a bet? As if remembering something, she immediately took back her words. "Uhh, no, we agreed she was worth much more than that so... ten million and ONE Fenrir credits."

"What's going on with you?" Soma, who was more irritated than confused, asked.

C gave him the look of utmost seriousness, her head lowering down a bit that her furred hood covered nearly half of her face. "I'm buying Flowers, Moonboy. So hurry up and take your credits already."

Is she serious? More than that, who does she think she is, some kind of god? There is no way she could just slap people's faces with credits and tell them to give her what she wants. If it was that easy, Soma would have been out of this damned place. "Are you that sick? Yuka's not for sale."

"Romantic," she spat. "Just take the offer."

C really has a lot of screws loose. "No."

"You agreed back then. Why not now? Do you seriously think you're a hero who can save everyone?" The small girl scowled, crossing both arms over her chest. "Let me tell you, you can't." This bastard is pushing his fucking buttons. When Soma only glared back at C from under his own hood, the teal-haired female finally huffed. "Fine. Have it your way, Moonboy. Just don't come running to me or blaming me when you lose it." With that, she walked out.

There is no doubting that C is mad, but even to the extent of attempting to buy people? Yuka sighed from inside her little cellar, quite content with listening to C speaking in disdain about the deal. "You both chose  **Fate** ," she hissed.

"And if we did?" Yuka, yet again, sighed. "Why are you so worked up about it? I have a fairly good reason why and I'm sure... Soma too."

"What even? Why risk your life for someone else?"

The blonde raised a brow, but quickly replaced that expression with a small smile, burying her face against her knees. "That's... the concept of human love," she chuckled. Although unseen, the other stared back at the figure curled atop the bed. "Ah... I doubt you'd understand. You're very understanding of love is different." She shifted positions a bit, stretching out her legs and leaning on the cold wall where her bed was pressed against. "And no, C, love is not hate."

C wished to roll her eyes, only if she had those. So instead, she shrugged. "That's what I've been told."

"Shouldn't you have learned enough from Lindow?" She craned her neck to glance at C for a moment. "Risking his life for his team. That's—"

"— his duty as Unit Leader."

"— love for his teammates."

"You don't even know the whole story, Yuka," huffed C. "Even if you knew from the very start that it would cost your life, why still accept it?" Blue eyes stared wistfully at the cotton white sheets, the pale girl's words appearing to have a deeper meaning to them — not just Lindow's death alone. "If humans value their lives, why carelessly throw it away?" Yuka could only give her the look of complete disbelief. It should have been understood well just by that, but C seemed to have as many questions to ask as those asked to her. Now, this would be troublesome. "You are quite hard to decipher. Doesn't loving someone means wanting to be with them all the time?"

"Yes, and sometimes, it also means risking everything for their safety. That's also called selflessness. Doing everything in your power to save them," she answered. "But at times, the human love also poses danger. For the people we treasure, we are willing to hurt others, and reach extreme limitations." She looked back at C, only to find her staring back in silence, causing her to laugh. "I read of a story about a guy who made a deal with the devil so his brother could live."

At this point, the other decided to ask, "And how about you?"

"I believe I already signed a contract with the devil." C appeared unamused. "The  _other_  devil." It took her a few more moments to pull her gaze back and add, "Though, if I'd ever be given the chance, I really want to travel back in time and correct my mistakes — save those who died because of me. My team, my Dad... My Mom."

C frowned. "You know, altering the past can greatly affect the present, right? If they lived, there's a possibility you'd disappear without a trace."

"Oh." She looked like she was about to say something important, but went silent for a few good seconds. After a while did she blink, raising her voice finally. "You seem to know a lot about that." The air and mood felt a whole lot lighter that the blonde found comfort in shifting to a more relaxed position.

C only stared in wonder, but then took back her gaze and softly mumbled, "Sounds like a great plan."

* * *

It was around afternoon when she found Lenka standing before the bars of her little room, having just returned from their Crocodile Swagger assignment. The work went pretty well, to say the least, but every trace of the Moon in the Welkin accident had been swept clean. "Dr. Sakaki wanted to know why you're skipping your regular check-up."

"Check-up?"

He immediately whipped his head over to the source of the voice, only to find a towering figure headed towards his direction. "Soma-san." He visibly saw Yuka flinch at the mention of the name.

 _What is he doing here?!_ She mouthed over at the green-eyed New-Type who only shrugged in response. Okay, cool. They can't talk about issues then. "I just don't need to have myself checked anymore," she then answered before Soma could ask again. "I'm fine. Shouldn't my partner be the one to know about that first?"

He scoffed, and leaned on the bars sideways, the metals creating small sounds upon the press of his weight. There goes her sudden change of attitude. Does she really think she can hide things from him, when he knows her like he knows his God Arc? Meanwhile, Yuka was mentally screaming at Soma to leave already, and violently gesturing at Lenka to make him do so. It wasn't helpful that she would catch his scrutinizing glares thrown towards her, letting her know how much of her plans has he spoiled. "How is Alisa by now?" She was left to ask.

"It looks like her condition remains unstable," the younger answered. "I tried to visit her a while ago, but her doctor said it can't be allowed just yet." In short, the situation hasn't grown any better. "Maybe in a few days..."

Soma expressed his disagreement with a scoff. Other than that, he was silent, and eventually, the two of them too. Yuka looked up from where she seated with arms crossed, only to find that Lenka was staring right back at her, as if waiting for any kind of response. "Don't give me that look. I'm not the one in charge." Though, there is one more thing she's much more worried about — the span of time she would have to waste fiddling around in this prison cell. The thing is, Knightfall can't stay stuck inactive for long. Being a prototype, they should know that it holds low stability of Oracle Cells. If left out longer than it should be, the God Arc might eventually lose control, and become even harder to maintain.

Silence continued to infiltrate the air around them. Hibari's announcement had just begun to blare through the speakers, calling out to all available members of the Retaliation Team. A new mission, huh? "Shouldn't you two be running along by now?"

The hooded male gestured at the other to go first, to which the younger male complied. Yuka huffed, as Soma faced the bars completely. "What are you up to,  _schatz_?" He asked in that familiar gruff voice. The endearment surprisingly slipped past her keen sense of hearing. Unfortunately, silence was the only reply he received, and so, he decided to push through. "What... do you know about something called IRIS?"

"Oh. The flower? Really pretty, no?"

"Yuka."

"What? You asked me what I know!"

"You're hopeless." He snorted, and simply walked away with hands in his pockets.

A small smile crossed her lips. "I'd rather be hopeless than clueless."

The cell door opened, and a voice coated in extreme seriousness, spoke. "Laboratory.  _Pronto._ "

* * *

Rusted Edge. A single Chi-you. This should go pretty quick. The problem with the lone guiding device still lingers around in his head, and C's sudden desire to purchase a living human being continues to baffle him. If those problems weren't enough yet, he discovers that a project called IRIS existed, and the fuck does he know about what the hell is it or what is it for.

What the heck is going on inside the Den?

"Soma, is everything alright?" Sakuya's voice cut through his train of thoughts and kicked all those questions into the back of his head. "You seem to be spacing out often."

He decided not to answer, simply turning away from the other while pretending he was looking around for any Aragami. Kota had finished loading bullets into his God Arc, and they resumed scouting. His mind shifted all of a sudden to the thought of their current enemy, a Chi-you. For some reason, it further brought his head to remember that double-cored Aragami of the same kind, the one he and Yuka fought before. There was also that regenerating Tezcatlipoca.

Those two were surely products of a failed science experiment, judging from how the Director reacted when he mentioned it.  _IRIS_...? Probably. But the project report clearly stated it having a single subject...

He was surprised to have the weight of Utsugi's body suddenly pressed against him, a strong force pushing them back a few steps. His ears rattled at the sudden recognition of explosions that continued to push the younger on him. The sound of gunshots rose amidst the commotion, red flashes of light zipping through the air. Those strong counter attacks by Kota and Sakuya momentarily halted any actions by the Chi-you, and Soma found his opening to give the Aragami a good hit on the head, crushing said body part with the teeth of his blade.

Much to his surprise, the Chi-you managed to rise back up to its feet after the attack, and though he tried to bring it down again with another smash, he was quickly countered with a single bomb ball. "How is it still alive?!" The male grunted as he picked up his weapon, watching the rest of his teammates stand against the enemy. A good hit in the head never fails him... well, not until now.

Kota fell back off his feet as the avian Aragami swooped forward to his direction, barely missing him by a dangerous inch. Of course after the usual screaming of his, he ran back to Sakuya's side and helped the veteran in bombarding it with blaze bullets.

How troublesome.

* * *

"Oh my God..." The doctor gasped, his monitors flashing even more baffling results — things he'd never seen before. "This is..." His words drifted off as he immediately worked to typing on his keyboard, in an attempt to figure out what is behind these mysteries.

A figure then stood before his table. "Terrible, isn't it?" The blonde laughed. "I mean, could you imagine how that could be possible?" Her little laughter died out upon seeing that the other was far from amused. Well, of course he wouldn't be. "I-I'm sorry. But please don't tell Soma." Yuka brought her head down, a sad smile being the only thing left behind from her laughter.

Sakaki sighed. "You truly are as stubborn as your mother."

"I think... she just really loved me, to choose to die so I could live."

* * *

C immediately spun around as soon as the sound of footsteps registered to her senses. Her face wore a grin of both excitement and mischief, as she beamed at her visitor. "You're finally here! Took you quite long though." Her grin only grew wider after seeing the other puff out her cheeks and try to glare at her.

"Mom and Dad are right. You really are trouble!" She fumed, crossing her arms. "What is it that you want now? For you to call me from that far in time, it must be extremely important. Because I'm really telling Dad this if it's not."

C simply chuckled. This little girl really took more resemblance to her mother than her father. "Too bad I'm not afraid of the Director. Or I'd rather say,  _she_  is not afraid of him, little Fate." The teal-haired girl ruffled the other's ashen blonde locks before continuing with her speech. "Your mom is a big genius. Tell her that."

The smaller blonde raised a brow. "You made me come all the way here, just for that?! Everyone knows mom is a genius!"

C seemed to have decided to ignore that outburst. "This new game we'll be playing is basically her idea."

"I have a feeling the idea was good, but the game is going to be bad."

The way C's lips twisted to a devious grin only confirmed how right she was, causing blue eyes to stare at said hooded girl out of suspicion. The game C is trying to get her to play is not just bad, but also extremely dangerous. Risky. After all, C's "bad" plans outnumber the "good" ones. Does she even have those? "Fire away."

"Little Fate..." C began. "... we're going back to 2071. About time long-term plans become a reality."


	21. Resonance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I've been trying to find a way to reverse the process but—"
> 
> "It's impossible," she hissed. "No angel could save a soul that's already in too deep in Hell."
> 
> "Yuka-san?"
> 
> She lowered her head to at least avoid the other from figuring out her current expression. "And I'm only sinking deeper. If you have any more spare time, help Lenka-kun instead." Sakaki frowned at her words. "'Sides, I've already picked my path. I'm finishing that project."

"Thanks for your hard work!" Hibari smiled at the four-man unit, as Lenka handed in the report for the Rusted Edge assignment. Sakuya smiled back at the operator, before saying that she will return to her quarters and went off. Kota waved them goodbye, off to visit his family in the Outer Ghetto. Soma, on the other hand, left without a single word. "By the way," the female operator said. "Alisa can now have supervised visitors, though she still shows no signs of recovery."

That should be enough good news. Although his relationship with said Russian God Eater started out as rocky, Lenka could never deny the fact that they are still members of the same team that should look after each other. However, he came to realize that the only thing that was probably keeping their unit together was Lindow. And with his disappearance, he couldn't help but feel that they somehow lost some kind of connection. He sighed.

He was on his way to the section elevator when a voice called out to him. "Lenka-san!" It was Kanon from the Defense Unit. "Are you going to see Alisa now?" She asked, which he answered with a nod. "Would you mind taking these to her for me?" Green eyes looked down at the bunch of fresh flowers in her arms. "I'd like to visit her too but we have been bombarded with our own assignments lately..."

Not like he had a choice, and it wasn't in his nature to decline something so simple. Lenka pushed open the door of the Sick Bay with one hand, the other gently carrying the flowers from Kanon. Alisa lay unconscious on her bed, not a single muscle moving. Standing at the foot of the furniture was Dr. Oguruma. He recognized him from way back, when they had to escort Alisa to the Far East Branch. "Oh, it's you," the man said.

"Will she be alright?" He asked, proceeding to place the flowers on the vase atop the bedside table. Everyone was extremely worried, not just for Lindow, but for Alisa as well. She has been down in the sick bay since the Moon in the Welkin, with no signs of positive results. With a sigh, Lenka sat down on the stool by the bed.

Dr. Oguruma was silently watching the male New-Type, before he answered the question. "Well, as you see, her condition has yet to improve. It's no use trying to talk." A small sigh slipped past his lips, as he continued, "I've received some very effective tranquilizers. She won't regain consciousness any time soon."

The younger's initial reaction was to knit his eyebrows in concern, as he turned to gaze back at the motionless body of his comrade. Unlike her usual appearance of the proud Russian, Alisa was silent and serene. "Alisa..." Without any other thought running in his head, he instinctively reached for the female's hand.

That was when the odd thing happened.

As soon as his skin brushed against Alisa's, he felt like something came surging in to his head. It caught him by such surprise that he immediately pulled his hand back out of reflex. It felt like he was grounded, except that it wasn't electricity. As he stared blankly at his hand, wondering what had happened, Dr. Oguruma asked what was wrong.

Lenka was too absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't answer; only bringing his hand back to firmly grasp the female's. The flashes of images came rushing in as soon as he did — the face of an unknown Aragami, a monitor showcasing blurred images — what were those?!

"What? Where am I? Why am I...?" A weakened feminine voice rose. It broke the entirety of Lenka's focus from the flashes of images as he turned, surprised, to a confused Alisa Amiella staring back at him, and then at their hands linked together. He was pretty sure the doctor mumbled a word or two under his breath, but to be true, he was too immersed at the fact that Alisa was awake that the only thing he heard was an "Excuse me!" as the man left.

Not wanting anybody else to find them like that, they both pulled their hands back. "Just now... you..."

He didn't know how to explain it either. It just happened. What could that be...? "At least you're awake now," he then said.

"I... I don't know how I feel to be honest," replied Alisa. "But it's really... different."

* * *

Tsubaki's piercing glares only seemed to bounce back with Yuka pretending not to care about it. "You've been reprimanded once. Don't ever do it again." However, the blonde only remained silent as she departed that claustrophobic cellar.

It had been almost a week since Moon in the Welkin, and since she was suspended. Now that it's finally over, she can report back to duty and return to the field. Will this mark a change of pace inside the Den? "Has Lindow's God Arc been found?" The female God Eater asked. Tsubaki's silence clearly indicated a negative answer. "Then why did they decide to quit the search?"

There was never a time that she didn't get on the Major's nerves. "I told you before, didn't I? If you wish to complain about orders from the top, see the Director himself."

"Yeah, right," she scoffed. There's no way she could do that to the Director! She doesn't even have the courage to ask about their special missions. Now that she's free to use the terminal again, she might as well try to find out how much C had been feeding Soma in regards to information about IRIS.

Hibari was one of the people to welcome her back, and her immediate request was to be informed of how everything was going. Of course the decision to stop the search for Lindow is still devastating news, but now that Alisa's reported to be awake, Yuka could feel a wave of relief washing through her. "I'll go visit her then..."

She just ascended up the lobby when the section elevator opened and spewed out Lenka who was catching his breath. He looked perturbed to have found the older New-Type discharged already, but quickly brushed off that surprise. "Yuka-san!" Said blonde was frozen in the spot where she stood, watching as the raven-haired teen took her right hand in his. Even after seeing their fingers laced together in a way that others would surely misunderstand, and Lenka staring at it as if waiting for some magic to happen, the only thing Yuka managed to say was, "Are you alright?"

Cue a loud, excited voice booming from somewhere. "Yo, Yuka! We heard you've been discha— Whoa, whoa, whoa! Right in front of Soma?" Kota appeared from the Den Gate, the tall hooded figure of Soma Schicksal standing beside him.

Despite that, all four of them stayed gawking at each other for a few good minutes. That was, until Yuka broke the sitting silence. She pulled back her hand from the younger male's grasp, before leaning over to whisper, "Talk to you later." Judging from the tone of her voice, it wouldn't be a talk about games or how much of a douche Soma is. Her attention shifted towards the pair. Soma had already started to walk towards the section elevator without a care, though he was grumbling "Have your little love fest," under his breath. Kota only shrugged. "Has any of you guys seen C?"

The orange-haired scout pouted slightly. "Nope. Come to think of it, I never did for days. You think she's brewing something silly again?"

"I hope not," she grumbled. "It takes more than just jokes to keep her entertained." Yes, and placing this blonde God Eater's life in do-or-die situations is just one of her many hobbies. "Well then, I'll do a few catching up before I report to the Director. I'd be back by duty time. Oh, and please no getting on Soma's bad side until I do."

She hadn't been freed for long when she was summoned to Dr. Sakaki's laboratory, the time she isn't prepared yet for any more bad news. She frowned as she logged out of the terminal, leaving the unread mail for later. "So... Alisa woke up thanks to you?" She asked Lenka, who was also present in the room. And apart that one thing to be thankful of, there's also the fact that his growing infection had slowed down.

The boy nodded. Yuka looked over to Paylor and questioned, "Resonance?"

"Resonance?"

"Most likely," the doctor answered.

"What's that?"

Great. She has to do even more difficult explanations, as if explaining love to someone like C was not enough trouble. "It's a unique ability shared by New-Types, and although they've never seen any actual product in the past, the scientists just believe it's there. According to studies, it mainly happens through physical contact, and allows two people to share thoughts and — wait, is that why you held my hand earlier?"

She could only give an aggravated sigh when the other nodded. "I didn't get anything though..." He mumbled. "When I held Alisa's hand, I had these flashes. They were really blurry, but I'm certain I saw something." Honestly, it would be better that way. Who knows what might happen if Lenka sees something he shouldn't?

"Resonance is... exactly the process involved between me and my prototype God Arc, as well as every other God Eater and their weapons," she explained. "The God Arcs are the external force driving another system, their beacons, to oscillate with greater amplitude at a specific preferential frequency. In other words, when a weapon and God Eater resonate, the former raises activity of Oracle Cells within the human body. If it weren't for the control armlets or Bias Factor, all God Eaters will be devoured."

"Sit down," Paylor told her, when she asked for permission to leave. Oh god. She's going to be grilled real good now, huh? The doctor resumed to silence after that, now fully focused on his computer, until his screens flashed extremely familiar results. Lenka clearly saw how Yuka's expression twisted to that of an annoyed one. "I've been trying to find a way to reverse the process but—"

"It's impossible," she hissed. "No angel could save a soul that's already in too deep in Hell."

"Yuka-san?"

She lowered her head to at least avoid the other from figuring out her current expression. "And I'm only sinking deeper. If you have any more spare time, help Lenka-kun instead." Sakaki frowned at her words. "'Sides, I've already picked my path. I'm finishing  _that_  project."

The raven-haired male frowned. Has Yuka been into something dangerous? "Does Soma-san know about this?"

Upon the question, he was met with a deadly and dangerous glares. "What you see, what you hear, fucking leave it here." He gulped. Then he doesn't. Lenka turned towards the data flashed by the monitor, specifically at the one that held the record of Oracle Cell growth.

Paylor finally concluded their conversation with a reminder. "Just do not do anything too risky. That applies to the both of you."

Right after they left the doctor's laboratory, she was greeted with an announcement. "Oh, Yuka! The Director's message just came in. He wants you to come see him," said the operator as the pair of God Eaters arrived at the lobby. Lenka's face became that of absolute concern, the idea of seeing said man not seeming to be a good one to him. Yuka, on the other hand, was completely poker-faced.

After everything she learned from Lindow, his disappearance and the whole thing about that guiding device, Yuka actually wasn't sure how she would converse with Director Schicksal now. Even though everything were only assumptions without clear evidence, all just sit right in place, too true to be ignored. The Director was already a quarter away from finishing his explanation, which she was far too busy to listen to, that the only words registering to her ears were: "And so, you would have to work on this mission alone."

She blinked. "Alone? By myself?"

Johannes looked back at her in question. "Is there any problem with that?"

She shook her head, though, in all honesty, she felt like a part of her heart had been ripped from the rest. Special missions were what she considered quality time with Soma, but now that he has a different assignment with the rest of the unit, this would be a solo date. "You're not trying to get rid of me  _too_ , are you?" She mumbled.

If he heard her or not, it wasn't easy to tell. The Director only kept his stern look at her, and the air began to scream awkward. "E-Excuse me then."

"Eh? You have a separate assignment?" Kota asked as their group loaded in their respective weapons at the back of the jeep. "That's pretty sad." The boy pouted slightly with his shoulders slumped, quite disappointed.

Soma had just arrived with his God Arc, eyeing the two separate jeeps preparing for departure. His lifted his gaze, shifting them back and forth from his own group to Yuka. She cocked her head slightly, answering his mental question. A special assignment. "On your own?" He asked.

Yuka rolled her eyes. As if he had not gotten the message. He simply walked past with his God Arc over his shoulder, grumbling slightly under his breath. "So... nothing?"

"What?" He scowled.

"No  _'take care'_?  _'Be careful'_? Good luck kiss? Not even an  _'I love you'_? Would have really motivated me to come back alive." The blonde crossed her arms while waiting for any of his reaction. Sakuya and the others stared at her with a look of horror in their faces, like she was a woman ready for a one-on-one with death.  _Bring it on, Soma,_  she thought.  _I'm ready for whatever you'll throw at me._

Soma stepped close with a smirk drawn across his face, his appearance twice as threatening with that huge blade he carries. Yuka had never had so much regret in her life that came rushing to her in matter of seconds. It wasn't helping that Soma was way taller than her. When he bent down to the level of her ear, she could feel her knees shaking slightly. His gruff voice registered in her ears, sending chills running down her spine. "You're dead."

She gulped, until he opened his mouth to speak once more.

"Be careful, you one clumsy fool."


	22. A Flower's True Colors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A single smile could hide a billion other things.
> 
> Yuka Ichinose seemed to no longer be the same child he knew.

_"Before a person could love someone else, he first must learn to love himself."_

She sighed and smiled, adjusting her fingers slightly on the wheel. The wind breezed through as the jeep moved forward in the bare, silent ground. "There is still quite a lot to do... but not enough time." She then pressed hard on the gas pedal, forcing the vehicle to go in greater speed. "Why are you such a pain in the ass, Soma?"

Another gentle whisper of wind greeted Yuka as she hopped off from the vehicle, and afterwards, checked the map. She was right on the spot of her secret mission, as stated in the map Hibari provided. "Hibari, I— God!" She hissed, ripping the small piece of technology off her ear. The painful static disappeared the moment she did so, and Yuka was left with no option but just slip it in the pocket of her shorts. "The link is busted." Well, at least everything else works. If something bad happens to her, considering this is a classified mission, she would be in a bigger pinch without any contact to the Far East. There's to hoping Soma would find her wherever she winds up dead.

She slung her own God Arc over her shoulder. "Now that I'm by myself, I could stop the blundering and actually get to work. The whole thing is making me sick." Though speaking at particularly nothing, as she truly was alone, she did wait for a few moments before resuming speech, a helpless smile drawn across her face. "Pretty quiet here."

Once more, the wind whispered. Yuka's expression morphed to a serious one, eyes narrowing for anything out of the ordinary. After Lindow's accident, it is not very difficult to grow suspicious of almost everything. The area was clear from anything weird, but then again, so was the City of Mercy back then. "Either he's really trying to get rid of me or that thing... really is here." Honestly, none of the two were better in her opinion. If the Singularity had been located at this very spot, to subdue it, she would have to engage with it head-on. And there's no telling what kind of Aragami is it, or what abilities it possesses. "Fuck. He's smart," she scowled. "Because either way, I'd be dead." Taking chance of the temporary serenity she was given, Yuka took out her phone.

_Mail sent!_

At that, she pushed herself back to her feet. The area was still as silent as when she had arrived, without a single sign of Aragami within sight, or even ear shot. It was really getting fishy. She should spot even only a few Ogretails, isn't that right?

Yuka frowned. "Oh..." She mumbled, dragging her two feet over to a destination she wasn't even certain of. "That's... odd." A strange sensation slowly began to pool at the pit of her stomach, and she blindly followed where her body led her in a few more steps. It was the unusual tick inside her once again — the one she barely has a clue about. How unpleasant. "This is–"

She found it. The towering Borg Camlann that continues to shake the area with agitated shrieks. It was deafening, to be honest, but Yuka found no time to complain in regards to that, upon noticing a lone girl in tattered clothes right before the Aragami's wake. Without any further thinking, the blonde God Eater leaped in between them, striking the brandished shield with her Buster Blade. "What are you doing?!" She yelled at the other, sending a salvo of bullets at the enemy as fast as her gun could go. "Why are you–?"

The moment she turned, it was simply her and the now angered Aragami. She would have pondered where the other went and how fast did she managed to, but there was currently a bigger problem at hand. Yuka picked up her pace, not letting the Borg Camlann catch up to her trail with its continuous needle shots. The moment the barrage stopped, her shoes brushed hard against the solid ground in an attempt to put a stop to her momentum, as powerful blazed shots flew from the barrel of her gun to the Aragami. Not wanting to give it a chance to counter, she jumped forward, hitting the front legs without a single hint of hesitation.

Its loud screeches shook the entirety of the place, and it tried to rid of the assailant with a quick spin of its tail. The environment fell into silence, and it turned around once more with thundering steps, only to find that the God Eater had disappeared.

Amidst the silence, the Borg Camlann, as huge and threatening as it may appear, was thrown off its own large legs by a powerful wave of energy from underneath its belly. It sent the Aragami crashing towards a twenty-storey building, and buried it under huge piles of rubbles and steel remains. The Charge Crush responsible for its defeat was evident on the ground, a trail of cracked ground originating from the God Eater to the fallen beast. The large scorpion beast struggled to get up from its entrapment, flailing its free limbs around. Its shield was hopelessly trapped underneath most of the fallen debris, and it even tried to fire its needles in hopes of freeing itself. The Oracle Cells it released slowly ate away the pieces of the building, but it didn't do much else. The process was not fast enough, giving the Aragami's assailant more time to catch her breath. Yuka brought up a proud and smug grin. Though the attack took every bit of strength and willpower inside her, she forced herself back to work, summoning the predator form of her weapon. "Never mind the consequences."

Even if the predator fail to eradicate the Aragami's core completely, luck is still on her side, as it cannot possible recover from the fall. The victory is hers and hers alone.

That aside, she would still have to find that girl and ensure she is alright.

The Aragami immediately screeched upon noticing her approaching, and it lashed out at her by using its tail as a whip. It struck the ground where she stood, creating various craters over the surfaces that it hit with its needle. In some other occasions, she would have been hit by at least one of those, probably now thrown meters away with Soma yelling at her. But this one is different – a completely different occasion. Yuka dodged all those assaults without breaking a sweat, jumping right out of the target area before the attacks land. That didn't seem to make the monster more proud of itself. The last one she deflected with her blade, swinging it with a force that even unbound its Oracle Cells. Once more, the Aragami shrieked in pain.

"Struggling is futile," she mumbled, though more likely to herself than to the enemy in front of her. Afterwards, she drew her blade.

* * *

The place fell silent again after that, apart from the occasional small Aragamis she bumped into on her way around. That girl from earlier... where could she have gone? Judging from her looks, she can't be any older than her. And what was she doing all by herself? In a place where the Singularity could be lurking? Yuka allowed the final bullet to fly, a flash of red light rocketing towards the unsuspecting Zygote, before it exploded, sending monster guts to every possible direction. The predator rushed forth, devouring the core before anything else could happen.

Yuka sighed, now lowering her weapon. The vicinity had been cleared of any possible threats as of now, but there still are no signs of that strange girl... or the Singularity, whatever the hell it looks like. The NORN provides little to no information about the subject, and C isn't present to answer all of her questions. Right now, she would pay hundreds of thousands just for that annoying girl to be here, though there is no certainty she would give the exact answers that she needs. "Just one round and then I'll go," the blonde mumbled to herself.

A flash of white caught her sight, causing the girl to momentarily stop and stare in wonder. Was that a ghost? Are ghosts even real? Her mind was divided whether to simply ignore that or go check it out, and Yuka found it hard to choose. If it was not a ghost, then what is it? Some civilian wandering in dangerous areas? But if it is a ghost, then what should she do? Not like she's afraid of ghosts! "You're a brave flower. Forward," she said.

Small, careful steps were what she took as she inched closer to the building where the ghost had disappeared to. There's no sound of any inhuman noises, so Yuka guessed it's not possible to be an Aragami. Still, it wouldn't kill her to be cautious.

She was almost to the door when a ringing noise erupted from who knows where, startling the God Eater completely that she screamed, and a high pitched one at that. It took her a moment of utter dumbness to realize it was just her phone. Grumbling curses under her breath, she picked up the call. "Hibari...?"

Judging from the sound of the redhead operator's voice, there was something wrong somewhere. "Your link was broken so I thought of contacting you here."

"Uhh, yeah," she answered. "It was pure static a while back so–"

Hibari didn't even let her answer. "What is your status?" What seems to be the rush?

"I just finished my work and was about to go back. Is there a problem?"

"Alright! I'll send you the coordinates!" Wait, what? "The area is only a twenty-minute drive! They should be able to hold out until then!"

"Hold up–!" Too late. Hibari had cut off the line, and indeed, Yuka received coordinates as the operator had said, prompting her to check her own map. It wasn't very far, and is possible to reach in less than twenty minutes. "Good grief."

* * *

As much of a baggage that kid was, Soma can't possibly leave him behind, especially not at the current situation faced by the Den after Lindow's... death. And so, as annoying as it had been for the past half an hour, he swung his massive blade at the Aragami standing up against him, a Chi-You. Quite out of luck, it folded its wings in defense, rendering the hit pretty much useless. Those steel appendages were pretty sturdy against Buster Blades, which only brings Soma to a disadvantage. Bah, not like he'd let himself stay long in the position. If he could unbind the parts, it shouldn't be extremely difficult afterwards. Or finish off the head; grab the core and fucking go.

Sakuya said she had called for backup, but Hibari was taking too damn long to check any available unit! Fucking seriously!

Soma nearly lost his footing at the consecutive bombs the Aragami had released, which he deflected with his own tower shield. He had been buying time for long now, and finding an opening for a Charge Crush isn't really that easy as his enemy moves too swiftly. He growled, watching with angry eyes as the avian beast beckoned him with one of its fingers. He took a single step back, aiming for a good hit, but the Chi-You had beaten him to it. It was already too late to deploy his shield, as Soma felt almost his entire body burn upon contact with the condensed explosive. His clothes were smoking as he rose back to his feet from where the impact had thrown him off. "Dammit," he hissed.

It wasn't helping that apart from the delayed back up, Sakuya was somewhere else in the area, dealing with a pair of Kongous, while the dead weight Kota — him and his array of flashy bullets — is incapacitated close by. Utsugi, who was fighting the Chi-You alongside him a while back, was trapped just across the field, most likely injured after a bunch of shenanigans happened in a flash. What a day to be alive. He could tell Sakuya to regroup, but that would only drag the Kongous to his current location, which isn't the best idea at the moment. He can't believe he is the one who needs help now.

The white-haired God Eater had barely recovered from the recent attack, when he noticed his enemy curling down, preparing for another release of condensed bomb balls. He whipped up his shield to hold his ground. If they keep going on like this, they will just end up attracting even more Aragamis.

He waited.

The next sounds he hears were those of crunching ones, bones breaking and even flesh being torn apart, along with the Aragami screaming in pain. He peeked over from his cover, only to find that a predator had firmly clamped its mouth together on the torso of the Aragami. The Chi-You struggled to break free from the capture, but the more it did, the more did the predator tightened its mouth, breaking its wings further and tearing the flesh of its body. After a while, it tossed the Chi-You's body up in the air, before retracting back. In a snap, a bullet flew towards the Aragami in mid-air, which was unable to escape in its weakened state with broken wings. As soon as the bullet made contact, it caused a huge explosion, covering the air in thick smoke. The Chi-You's body dropped down on the ground, motionless.

Yuka leaped down from where she stood, and took her steps towards him. He was only left staring, processing what just happened. Did she really just...? "You okay, babe?" She asked as she brought up her hands to cup his face, examining the gashes and bruises all over.

The male took her wrists in his own hands and removed them from his cheeks, eyes never leaving the mutilated remains of the now decomposing Chi-You. He still found it unbelievable — despite the fact that it happened right before his eyes. Mindlessly and still at a loss of words, he answered, "Yeah,  _babe_." At that time, his recent reply dawned to him, making his face scrunch up in disgust. The male, now frowning, spat on the ground and wiped his lips dry with the back of his hand. "Damn you," Soma hissed, growling at his hysterically laughing companion.

More than that disgusting answer, his mind still tried to register the fact that Yuka, despite being a baggage that she was, single-handedly brought down a Chi-You in two strikes. It wasn't the feat that he was mad at, or her habits of showing off – probably a bit infuriated. The one thing he couldn't believe was that he needed saving from the person whose ass he had been saving for many times now. Now, she's going to brag about it to everyone.

She had recovered from her fit of laughter and was already grinning at him, before she looked around. "Where is everybody, babe?"

The male grumbled and craned his neck over to the ruins at the other side of the field. "Utsugi," he grumbled. Yuka's expression immediately shifted to a worried one. "Then why are you just standing there?!" She yelled, dragging him by the arm over to the spot. They cleared the rock debris covering with both hands and God Arcs until the pair of God Eaters got a clear view of the raven-haired lad. "Lenka!" She exclaimed, rushing in and singlehandedly pushed aside the remaining boulders over his leg. "Oh, thank goodness. It isn't as worse as I thought."

"What are you doing here?" Soma asked with his eyebrows furrowed. Of course he is relieved to know that Utsugi is alright and unharmed... slightly.

Yuka helped the younger up to his feet, with Lenka's one arm over her shoulders to assure he wouldn't fall up the next minute with his injured leg. "Hibari gave me the location and asked me to come as soon as possible. I didn't know it was you guys. What happened?"

"We were supposed to take down a Kongou and a few Zygotes," the other New-Type answered. "But when we got here, we were attacked by that Chi-You and two more Kongous. Sakuya and Kota are probably still dealing with them."

She didn't even bat an eyelash as she brought Lenka to sit down on a much safer place, and picked up her God Arc. "Look after him, alright, babe?"

"Will you stop that?!" He growled. Yuka was not just keeping herself entertained and wounded his pride by saving him, she was also rubbing salt to his wound. "I'm going to rip your fucking throat ou–"

"Love you too. I'll bring back the two in a bit."

" **Bitch, I'm gonna put you in the ground** ," he scowled.

Lenka's lips pulled to a small smirk as they both watched the female dart off like lightning in a storm. Though this expression of his wavered pretty quick upon noticing the older male glaring daggers at him. "Don't you say a fucking word," the other glowered in a cold voice. He nodded in agreement with a gulp, before Soma threw him a ball, glowing in faint green under the sunlight. It was a Restore Ball. "It'd take some time to heal, but it works," he grumbled.

"Are you not going after Yuka-san?" The boy inquired. He received a 'tch' from his senior, but no words slipped out of his mouth. "You said earlier that she can be pretty careless."

It wasn't about Yuka getting beaten up that has his mind racing at the moment. It was still that Chi-You she took down effortlessly — like it was only a small and weak Ogretail. It simply contradicts the fact that she did horrible back on their mission against the double-cored Chi-You, and even on other regular missions. What the hell is she trying to pull now? His eyes drifting close in thought, the taller male replied, "No. She better work it out."


	23. Jinxed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuka pouted slightly, staring straight at the hooded male's back. "Protecting someone doesn't always mean you have to grow stronger than everybody else. Sometimes, it's more effective to lay low and make some kind of cover."
> 
> "Laying low doesn't mean making yourself handicapped all the goddamn time."
> 
> Yuka laughed. "For a person who always goes head on in full strike, armed purely with brute force, I don't expect you to understand... At least, not for now."

The rest of the team didn't look any better. If anything, they looked even worse. Kota was still dazed and wobbly from the recent incapacitation, barely able to pick up his own gun or even keep himself upright. Sakuya, on the other hand, was looking like she had tired her soul out, catching her breath as they all stopped for a rest. Lenka's wound had healed for a bit, but damn, that boy still needs a few good shots of bias. Out of them all, Soma appeared to be the only one fit for any more battles. "Your timing is spot-on, Yuka," the vice captain praised.

The blonde girl didn't look too pleased with that on the other hand. She was restless, pacing back and forth and keeping a keen eye on everything around them. "The other one escaped," she mumbled. "We have to get it, Soma."

It was a relief to have her call him by the name this time, rather than some sickening pet name sure to make him puke. The taller male raised a brow at that statement, crossing his arms over his chest, while he scowled at his partner and her silly ideas. "Are you nuts?" He asked. Engage against an Aragami? In their current condition? That's suicide.

"Just... Just let us rest for a bit," pleaded the orange-haired lad, holding onto his still woozy head. His sight is probably still spinning.

Soma was not having any of it. Standing here while waiting is not something he would do, especially if there are Aragamis to be exterminated. "No," he coldly replied. "You, Utsugi and Sakuya will drive home." He turned to Lenka who was still sitting on the side with his recovering leg. "You need shots of bias factor, pronto." His remaining words seem to hung on his throat, as if he wasn't sure whether to go through with the rest or not. All of his teammates stared at him in silence. Apparently, they are not quite used to him taking charge of the situation. Soma eventually accepted the internal defeat, as he turned to Yuka, rubbing fingers against his temples. "We'll take it out."

Her hardened expression softened slightly, pink lips twisting to a teasing smirk. "Oh? It's a date then,  _babe_ ~? How sweet of you~" The last sentence she spoke as she did a 10/10 back flip, avoiding the massive blade the white haired male had swung in frustration. Sakuya and Kota looked mortified. "Okay, okay. I'll stop," she laughed, landing in two feet before the smoking male.

"A-Are you sure?" Kota asked, the idea of leaving these two together not seeming to appeal with him. Even if it would only be a Kongou, unexpected things could still happen. "Sakuya?" He turned to their senior for an agreement, expecting her to side with him.

The called female studied the pair for a few minutes, before coming upon a decision. "Alright," she sighed. "But please, both of you, return to Den in one piece." It looked like the top declaring Lindow as MIA still has a great impact on her, as they all saw the despair and sadness in her eyes. It must have broke her heart, even only for a bit, to have them part like this. Her gaze shifted over to the smiling blonde, who responded with a thumbs-up. With that, she assisted the injured New-Type to stand.

"But," Yuka added. "If I do come back in shreds..." She paused and pointed at Soma, before resuming speech in a now lowered voice. "... it's his fault."

Soma growled. "I'm not afraid."

A few more exchanges and the pair were left to watch the rest of their team safely leave the area, with Sakuya supporting Lenka as they walked. Even before they had disappeared from their vision, Soma had begun to walk towards the opposite direction.

"So... what do you want to talk about?" His companion asked, to which he only growled at under his breath. "You would have forced me to come with them if I'm mistaken." At this point, her tone had ditched the playful and teasing tinge it had earlier, the atmosphere losing the entire funny business aura.

He still refused to answer, and only continued walking with his God Arc slung over his shoulder. Though, knowing her perfectly, there would be no kind of response that will keep her mouth shut. It has been eighteen years, and over that period of time, he'd learnt to tolerate all of it.

But, in contrast to what he had expected, the blonde simply waved the topic off, and they both continued in silence. He didn't know why he was so surprised, to be honest. Tsubaki did note of her assuasive battle performance during her first day of work, and if that is only a lie, it wouldn't justify the fact that she was appointed unit leader sometime in the past. Still, why would she pretend she needs saving half the time? It only doubles his workload, if she doesn't know.

Yuka pouted slightly, staring straight at the hooded male's back. "Protecting someone doesn't always mean you have to grow stronger than everybody else. Sometimes, it's more effective to lay low and make some kind of cover."

"Laying low doesn't mean making yourself handicapped all the goddamn time."

Yuka laughed. "For a person who always goes head on in full strike, armed purely with brute force, I don't expect you to understand... At least, not for now."

"And you call yourself a woman of strategy?" He frowned. The more she spends her days in the Far East, Yuka just simply grows more... different to the childish girl he'd known six years ago. Different in terms of — what's the proper word,  _mysterious_? "Soma, everyone keeps secrets," she added. "I believe even Lindow did." His eyes grew suspicious, narrowing slightly at the last words she had given.

They both knew about the guiding device, but all that Soma has were simply his own ideas and theories. What he had inferred may or may not be different from what Yuka knows. Like hell she'd tell him. "You know?" He turned to her as he asked, but the only reply he got was her smiling face.

"Kongou at two o'clock. Shall we get moving?"

* * *

The mission was a breeze, as much of a surprise as it sounds. The both of them were on their way back to where the vehicle was parked. "I now remember where you were..." She suddenly said, breaking the silence between the two of them. It only caused the male to stare at her. She figured he might have been confused of what she was suddenly mumbling about, and so, the girl decided to continue. "... Six years ago. When that accident happened, I know where you were."

"Where?" Great. Now he can hop back in time and give his twelve year old self a hit on the head for being somewhere else. If he had been there, then maybe things had a different run.

"On your way to your first mission."

He immediately gritted his teeth at the memory. Of course. How could he have forgotten  _that_? Now that she had mentioned it, they were all coming back to him, as if he was watching a film of his younger self and his mistakes that fueled this all. Didn't she know he originally declined that assignment? He remembered himself refusing that offer — completely rejecting it. He didn't care about that damn thing at all.

 _"Are you still going to keep that attitude?"_  His — dare he say it — father's voice rang loud and clear in his head, as if he was hearing it for real. He saw his younger self, standing in silence before a large viewing glass, hands balled into fists. The Director stood not far by his side, wearing a completely straight face.

How could he have forgotten? He thought she died, because by the time he returned, she wasn't there anymore, and he was never told what happened. The primary reason he eventually accepted that mission up north was because of what happened to  _her_. He thought he lost another person to the Aragamis. "Why did you suddenly bring that up?" Soma asked.

"Well..." She smiled, turning her gaze at the towering skyscraper that loomed over the City of Mercy, rays of afternoon sun peeking through the hole in its center. "I just thought... it would be relevant in the future." How come she's the one confusing him now? "Oh, look, it's C," the girl then said, now staring straight at the direction where their jeep was parked, and indeed, a blue hooded figure stood by its side, arms crossed. "I haven't seen her in a while."

What's so delightful about seeing that greedy damn bastard? C being here could only mean brewing trouble. Soma was far from enthusiastic in regards to meeting with the said pale girl. Why is she here, of all places? He went and secured his God Arc at the back of the jeep, while his partner went towards their silent third companion. Something about C feels different today, it seems. Where has her cunning and mischievous side gone off to? "Something didn't go as planned," he grumbled at the female's direction. It wasn't a question, but a statement based from reading C's current expression.

C snickered. "Quite a crappy way to fail."

Blue eyes stared back and forth at Soma, whose eyes seemed to try reading through the girl's words, and at C, who refused to give either of them a single glance. "Fail in what?" Yuka asked.

The teal haired female craned her neck to the God Eater across her, pulling down her furred hood. The mask she wore did nothing to make her any less scary, but Yuka figured she would have preferred that than probably seeing what it hid behind. C opened her mouth to speak, a frown of disapproval drawn over her pale face. "Killing you."

Soma's breath hitched. She heard it, and it twisted her frown to a smirk. Though, he thought he would be a bit more hostile than just angrily stare down at her from the back of the vehicle. How amusing. He should have clobbered her in full force by now, struck her head against the ground and bury her alive, and after all that, C would just keep pressing buttons.

From across, Yuka laughed, to their surprise. She didn't react childishly or whined, telling her to stop the silly jokes. She lowered her head and laughed, then waved her off. "Maybe next time, C."

" _Maybe_ ," the other allowed the word to roll off her tongue. "I like the sound of that. But foiled plans are foiled. I would just have to start from the top."

Well, Soma didn't fancy how that sounded, but he didn't dare voice that one out, as he hopped off the back and went for the passenger seat, Yuka now making herself comfortable behind the wheel. He would've have climbed up there in ease if a hand had not grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him away from destination. Harshly, he might add. "Move, Moonboy," demanded C, as she climbed up ahead of him.

What is this bastard's problem?

C secured herself with the seatbelt. "You sure are having fun," she began. "I'm starting to think you'd change your mind— Oh, you  _did_  change your mind."

"What are you blabbering about?"

"Shut up, Moonboy," hissed the female. "This isn't about you." She cocked her head over to Yuka in the driver's seat, adding a 'Hm?' at the silence of said girl. "Well, if you do hand it over to him, that'd solve your problem. What's the point of using a fake one if you have the genuine one anyway?" C continued to monologue, while Soma listened intently from the back, but Yuka paid her no mind and only kept her eyes on the road. "Can you really, though? I mean, like hell  _he'd_  let you. You're not that desperate to completely break Moon boy’s trust, are you?"

His ears perked up, C's little monologue intriguing him more than ever. With Yuka refusing to show any kind of response towards her verbal assaults, he couldn't be sure if C is just talking nonsense or not. A bit irritated, he turned to the blonde, "Oi."

"It's just an Aragami," Yuka replied, her voice firm.

"Oh? But so are you."

"What the fUCK—" Soma was thrown forward as the jeep came to an abrupt stop, his body slamming against the back of her chair. C, even with her seat belt on, was not spared. The sudden deceleration pushed her small frame forward, the contraption around her tightening at her stomach. A few more yelps followed suit, C hitting her head on the chair's head rest, and Soma crashing, as evident with the sounds from the back. "Have your damn driver's license revoked," the white haired male growled, holding onto the side of his head. Angrily, he removed Yuka from her seat, belt and all, and began to check every pocket on her clothes for that single card. The back one had consumables; the three on her shorts had trash while the other held her phone. The one strapped around her thigh contained bullets.

Yuka watched him do as he pleased. She doesn't even have a license to begin with. He would not find anything. "Look, babe. If you plan to strip me every piece of clothing that I have, I don't know, maybe find a more private place?"

That annoying piece of shit strapped on the front seat laughed. "Didn't know you're actually a pervert, Soma." He growled at the pale girl. He's not—! Too late. C pressed a foot right on the accelerator, shouting 'Full speed ahead!' as they returned to the road, the jeep roaring as it sped through the barren land. Soma and Yuka fell flat on the back, taken by surprise at their favorite broker stealing the wheel out of blue. The blonde was the first to recover, cleaning her face of flyaway hair brought by the gushing wind.

"C!" She yelled, grabbing the side of the jeep. The speedometer clearly indicated they were going at a hundred and twenty miles per hour. Yuka's eyes widened in complete horror. Too fucking fast! "Back down to sixty! Do you even know how to drive?!"

The girl behind the wheel cackled. "No! I just watch how you guys do it!" She yelled back. Well, shit. Soma eyed Yuka with sharp piercing gaze.  _Construct_   _your_   _death_   _wish_ , he seemed to say.

Stealing back the wheel would be a futile effort, as their inexperienced driver swerved their vehicle back and forth, throwing both her passengers around like they were only rag dolls. If they had not held firmly on whatever was intact close to them, they're probably thrown out. Good thing their God Arcs are safe and sound, strapped in place. "At least this is open ground," grumbled Soma. "Nothing to crash on."

Yuka frowned at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but was rudely interrupted by the sudden blare of noise.

> " _Wanna join me? Come and play~_ _♪_ _♬_ _~_ " C began, her voice scratching the wind like claws forcibly dragged against a glass. " _♬_ _~ But I might shoot you, in your face! Bombs and bullets won't do the trick! What we need here is a little bit of panic oh ah!_ _♩_ _♪_ _~_ "

"We're panicking already, okay?!" Yuka yelled, but her voice dissolved in the blowing wind as C only loudened her already irritating voice.

> " _♬♩_ _~ Do you ever want to catch me? Right now I'm feeling ignored! So can you try a little harder? I'm really getting bored!_ _♩_ _~_ "

The song hadn't been going for long when a tall fort slowly began to rise from the horizon. The gates! And they still hadn't slowed down! It wasn't helping that both of them were holding onto the vehicle for dear lives, while their ears are bleeding from having to tolerate C singing. Could this day get any worse?! "C! The gates!"

They were approaching the walls in full speed.

> " _Come on! Shoot faster! Just a little bit of energy yeah!_ ♬♩~"

"Slow down, you bastard! You're going to get us pancaked!"

Though the gates were beginning to part, at this rate, the chances of them being killed is still high. Especially with C refusing to register their voices to her senses.

> "♪♩~  _I wanna try something fun right now, I guess some people call it anarchy! Let's blow this city into ashes and see what Pow-Pow thinks~_ _♬_ _♪_ _~!_ " She continued to sing. The meter was still at 120 miles per hour, and C shows no desire of hitting the brakes.

Yuka, with blond locks flying all over her face, turned to Soma. Her voice was loud enough to be heard despite C's noise, the engine's roar and the wind howling in their ears, but not too loud to irritate him further. "Soma!" He immediately mouthed a 'what' with brows furrowed. "If we're going to die today, just want to tell you that you're a douche and an asshole, but—"

> " _It's such pathetic neatness, But not for long 'cause you'll get jinxed!_ _♬_ _♪_ ~"

They zoomed in past the barely opened gates. Soma made a grab for her arm, shouted, "Just fucking JUMP!" and pulled her out of the vehicle before it rammed right into three more jeepneys parked silently there. The crash created a thick smoke, alerting nearby facility and caused them to come running. Well, at least they weren't harmed, except for the few gashes on their skin and their now messed up clothes. Yuka was shaking, but not for long as the adrenaline died out.

Their jeep is now nothing but a crumpled mass, damaging the other three vehicles and rendering them unusable. Most of its parts were completely ripped off, pieces of metal and a few motor parts scattered close by. Thankfully, their God Arcs were unharmed. Soma would certainly murder that greedy bastard if anything happens to Evil One. That is, if she is not dead yet from the crash impact. Honestly, if that bastard's a goner, he wouldn't mind throwing a huge party.

To his disappointment, an arm rose from the wreckage, together with a muffled voice, "Help me, dammit."

The blonde, having calmed down by now, approached with an unamused frown. "Magic word?"

"I'm going to kill you."

"Close enough," scoffed Soma, grabbing that arm and pulling C out of the pile of scrap, like she was a toy doll so light in his arms. And by toy doll, it also meant she was swung around and thrown carelessly around by Soma, who looked like he no longer had any more fucks to give.

"Oh my!" Hibari exclaimed as the pair logged back in. "You two are a mess! What happened?" In contrast to the operator, Tsubaki stood there with her sharp stares, expecting a brief summary of the assignment before either of them passes the actual report. She's as stern as ever.

Soma grumbled slightly under his breath, and then walked out to the elevator, while Yuka was too tired to even give a single shit. "C drove. And uh, Soma tried to undress me on the way home."

The redhead's lips gaped open in an 'oh', her words suddenly dissolving into thin air. Tsubaki's eyes narrowed down at her. "How bold." Fuck. What did she just do? Commander Amamiya fell in cold silence, though kept her nerving gaze at the beaten God Eater. Her lips pursed to a straight line. At this point, the only things running in her head are the variety of most rigorous training sessions God Eaters in level of Lindow and Soma had barely survived in. It probably wouldn't be that bad to raise its difficulty a few more notches. "Tell Soma to come see me later."

"Y-Yes, ma'am."

* * *

It was already morning when they saw the male God Eater again, as he slumped down on the couch, almost lifeless. He was a hooded, boneless mess bathing in his own sweat, breathing twice as fast to at least keep his heart beating. The ends of his white hair was soaked in sweat, the same fluids doing the same with the clothes he wore. The First Unit — Yuka, Kota, Sakuya, and a fully healed Lenka — stared at the unusual sight of a bone-tired and beat-down Soma Schicksal. No one dared to ask though, but Yuka. "You look completely worn-out,  _liebling_. What happened?"

Soma glared angrily at her, as far as his tired body would let him. She only tilted her head in confusion. He raised a hand and curtly gave her the finger. " _Fick dich_ ," he hissed, without a single hesitation in his words.

The rest of the team stared in shock. They didn't know what he said, but the finger was enough to send the message. Still, none of them spoke. Yuka smiled, sweet and sarcastic at the same time. "Didn't you try that already,  _schatz_? Though I don't really mind you making another attempt. But learn to follow an advice: find a more private place."

"Bitch, I'm going to fucking murder you."

"The both of you," Sakuya sighed. "Just stop."

If he could move a single muscle, Sakuya would have been ignored for he would strangle the blonde female with all the strength he had left and she wouldn't be able to blow that kiss she just did.


	24. Resonance II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It startled him that he stuttered over the first words of his response. "W-Well— I just—" Then he caught himself, the male wondering why was he even. Green eyes looked back at inquiring female, as Lenka began again. "I just thought I'll give the Resonance another try. I saw much more vivid things."
> 
> "Like?"
> 
> "... her life."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" Paylor erupted as he nearly slammed her on the face with the printed results of the current examination. "It has only gotten worse!" Yuka was greatly flattered to know that the doctor is concerned, though it also irritates her that he works himself up over something she asked for from the beginning.

The blonde sighed, before eyeing one of the papers now scattered all over the floor. It had a diagram of a human silhouette, with a large orange dot sitting on the left chest area. A core, more or less. That idea was further supported by a different scan on a separate paper — an X-ray, that is, as impossible as it sounds, almost hollow.  _It has gotten this far, huh?_  She thought.

Paylor calmed himself a bit, and returned to his chair while the blonde proceeded to pick up the papers. "How long has this been going on?" He asked. "How long have you known?"

"Six years to both, though I didn't have the complete idea. I simply let it flow as he wishes. Besides..." The girl fell silent, mauling over whether to continue or not. No, Dr. Sakaki will probably call her an idiot if she goes on. "... never mind."

"He still hasn't given up, I see," he replied, reclining back on his seat. Sometimes, knowledge is truly a dangerous power to possess. "I remembered he had an argument with your father in regards to this. The Singularity, the Devouring Apocalypse, the Nova." Her lips twisted to a small smirk, indicating that she knows of that story very well too.

Yuka filed the papers into her folder, and carefully slid them into one of the drawers. She then took the disc the doctor handed over — a softcopy. "If the metamorphosis, as you say, is nearing completion, then his own plans must be as well. Although, it looks like he still has high hopes on Soma or me finding the Singularity one of these days." It only makes this whole race of theirs even harder.

 _"Could you really, though?"_ C's voice echoed.  _"I mean, like hell he'd let you. You're not completely desperate to break Moon boy’s trust, are you?"_  It still confuses her after a night of deep thought. Why would she have second thoughts about handing over an Aragami similar to many others? Why would that mean breaking Soma's trust? Will this whole thing even matter to him in the end? Will  _she_  even matter to him?

The very thought brought a constricting feeling around her chest. Everything was fine, if only her resolve had not began to change. If he was in her shoes, would he have done the same? Probably not. Yuka blinked hard, forcing back the incoming tears. She can't cry about it now that it has gotten this far.

"Don't you think you are simply misunderstanding his goals?" Sakaki asked, noticing her growing silence. "The Devouring Apocalypse is a subject similar to that of a pitch black pit. Even after years of extensive study, we still are yet to see the end of it." The blonde refused to meet his eyes. He, too, began to wonder the reason behind these dangerous decisions of hers. "You took an extremely huge risk." Is the Doctor trying to get her to completely change her mind? "Think all of these through, Yuka. None of us have any idea on what this might truly bring." She would have sassed the older male, and claim she knows exactly what is going on, which was a lie, but Paylor looked at her straight in the eye and added, "Think about Soma too."

She sighed, feeling like every bit of energy was seeped out of her system. "I have... something to ask about." Although she has a bit of an idea now, a confirmation from one expert on the field is still what she needs. "I don't feel as much pain as I used to whenever I devour a core."

Paylor looked excited for a moment, but their gaze met, and he was reminded of the grave situation the God Eater is in. This wiped the excitement in his face, as he pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It must be related to the whole event of your God Arc transferring Oracle Cells from the stored core to you. Although it shouldn't even happen in the first place, seeing that it is the control armlet's job to stop any non-matching Oracle Cells from entering the God Eater's system."

"But this is a prototype we speak of, and as we know, they have an unstable amount of Oracle Cells in them. That's the primary reason the others died."

"It seems to me that the unmatched Oracle Cells found a way to bypass this defense mechanism provided by the armlet. To fight it off, your adapted P71 Bias Factor... 'makes adjustments', pooling them together and later forming a core-like organ."

That's what it was. From the purple bruise-like infection, which later created a legit crack. The changes did not stop there though. "As I guessed." She rose, her eyes as dull as gloomy iris flowers. "I probably should get going now. It's about duty time, and I promised to pay Alisa a visit."

* * *

Alisa woke up in a startled state, gasping for air as she rose from her bed to sitting position. It was as if a jolt somewhere deep in her head shocked her from her sleeping state in a surprise — as if she was revived from total lifelessness. The first thing that registered to her was the sight of the Sick Bay and its emptiness. Her eyes squinted slightly in immediate adjustment to the light. It was then that she took notice of the warmth emanating from her hand. It was Utsugi Lenka — the same guy she tried to strangle on their first day of meeting. He held her hand firmly in his, as he stared at her with both mouth and eyes wide in a bit of shock.

The male seemed to have recovered, as he slowly sat straight and retreated his hand. It happened again, like it did a few days back.

"Just now..." The female began though her voice was a bit hoarse. "Just now, I felt your emotions flowing into my mind." She was far from the arrogant girl he competed against atop a transport plane. Alisa looked extremely vulnerable. Fragile. "Did you... see it too?"

A shiver run up his spine at the question, but Lenka simply nodded. "All of it."

Alisa sighed and continued, lowering her head. "I thought I had forgotten all about that day..." A tired sigh slipped past her lips. "... until right now."

"I thought I'd play a trick on my parents... and went to hide in a nearby building during a game of hide-and-seek.  _'Ready or not, here we come...'_  And then... suddenly they were running and shouting,  _'Aragami! It's an Aragami!'_ I should have rushed out then... but I was so scared I couldn't move." At this point, Alisa started to sob, hands clasped over her chest. "Daddy and Mommy... came to look for me... but..." She wiped the tears pooling at the corner of her blue eyes, and took a few breaths. Lenka allowed her to speak as she wishes; to release the pain she had bottled up for years. He, too, had been in that state of helplessness. He knew how it felt. Alisa's sobbing slowly died out, her speech becoming more coherent. "I heard a terrible growling... and then... right before my eyes!"

He saw it too.

From an obstructed point of view, he caught sight of blood red, vicious and monstrous eyes staring back at him — no, probably at a younger Alisa cowering in fear and frozen in shock. The vision only reminded him of the rage boiling at the pit of his stomach during their encounter of the black Vajra — the Dyaus Pita.

The raven-haired male once again reached out for her hand, not for another Resonance, but to calm her down; to assure her everything is okay now. Alisa's expression did turn calmer at the gesture, and she took a few more breaths. "If only I'd realized... ran out of there sooner... neither of them would have..." She was once again at the verge of tears. "It was all my fault."

He wanted to console her at the very least, but both New-Types froze on the spot when the door to the Sick Bay opened, and in strolled someone, who said no word but simply threw warm arms around the Russian God Eater. "It's not..." Yuka told her.

"Yuka-san..."

"If you ran out of there... If they survived... but you were the one killed by the Aragami, do you think both of them would have wanted that?" The blonde said. "Before their safety, you, their daughter, would always be their top priority." She then pulled back, only to find a depressed Alisa and a confused Lenka. "I... I heard it all from the hallway. I'm sorry for suddenly walking in."

Alisa fell silent, thinking over the words the other had registered to her ears. Had she been the one dead, what would her parents be now? Would they be as happy as they were? "When they told me I was being considered as a New-Type God Eater... I thought,  _'Now I can get revenge for my parents!'_  That Aragami..." The image of the devious beast flashed before her eyes. "The one that murdered my parents!" At the same time, it caused a jolt of pain to strike her head, Alisa now curling in pain while holding her head. Yuka and Lenka immediately panicked.

"It's all right,  _schweßter_ ," the blonde said, once again wrapping her arms around the other female. Alisa surprisingly leaned in for comfort, sobbing once again. "You need to rest and get all those off your head for now." To think that the two of them had been in the same shoes on different parts of their lives.

"It was tough," Lenka finally told the older female. "I saw it too."

"I'm sorry," sobbed the Russian. "I don't even know myself what's going on. Thank you... for being here." With tears in her eyes, she looked up at the looming figure of Lenka who was trying to console her as much as Yuka does. "It was you who held my hand like this the other day, wasn't it?" Her gaze shifted over to their hands linked tightly together, Alisa's thumb gently rubbing against the male's skin. The warmth she feels right now is simply overwhelming. "All these warm emotions..."

Lenka was surprised to have found that Yuka's blue eyes stared sternly back at him.  _Tell_   _me all about it later._

* * *

She was pretty serious.

Yuka wore a completely different expression as she stormed towards Hibari's counter where Lenka was studying the details for their next assignment, Red Antares. It was against a lone Borg Camlann and a few Fallen Zygotes drifting by, so it should not be an entirely difficult job. Despite that, Hibari suggested he take the others, so as to make the workload lighter between them.

 _Kota, Sakuya and Soma,_ he listed down. That should do it.

But, to his surprise, Yuka popped in by his side and removed everybody else from the list. She continued to work with it in silence, him only left to watch. The female then turned the now filled details to the waiting operator. "Good luck to you two!" Hibari smiled. "Please be careful!"

"Tha-Thank you!" Lenka managed as Yuka left the counter and dragged him along, one arm over his shoulders. She didn't even say a word to the operator. Not until their chopper was up on flight did she looked at him with arms crossed. "What happened?"

It startled him that he stuttered over the first words of his response. "W-Well— I just—" Then he caught himself, the male wondering why was he even. Green eyes looked back at inquiring female, as Lenka began again. "I just thought I'll give the Resonance another try. I saw much more vivid things."

"Like?"

"... her life."

Yuka felt a thick lump escape her throat. She couldn't be any more thankful that, for some reason, resonance doesn't exist between the two of them. Other people seeing deeper parts of her life is one thing she honestly would not fancy. Lenka, however, looked extremely troubled. It was noticeable by how he refused to make eye contact for long. Yuka decided to loosen herself up a bit, not wanting to be of any resemblance to their feared Major Amamiya. "It baffles me, to be honest, how Alisa survived that encounter with what they call the Dyaus Pita."

A lone, terrified young girl, staring straight in the eyes of certain death.

She paused.

Was she talking about Alisa? Or herself? It then dawned to her that there is still a part of her past that remains blank and unanswered. How did she get out from the clutches of a Borg Camlann... twice? After seeing their research team slaughtered right on the spot, including her own father, Yuka realized she wasn't sure what she did next. Did she run? Hide? When her team died fighting against a Borg Camlann and a Vajra, and she was the only one left, what did she do? Did she take down both of them all by herself, in a weakened and tired state? Did she fell unconscious trying to stay alive? If that was so, why didn't those Aragamis kill her like they did to the others?

A surge of panic rushed up to her head, those questions hitting her like huge waves to a shore.  _What the fuck, Yuka,_  she told herself, staring at her lap with eyes wide.  _You don't really remember._ There was nothing she loathes more than not having answers to her questions. That's why she wanted to be a researcher, a scientist. She wants to find answers — or create answers.  _Oh god._

"Yuka-san!" Lenka's voice pulled her back to her even harsher reality, as she slowly looked back at younger male. His face was contorted with worry, confusion, and probably a bit of fear. "There is... There is something else."

He told her about Lindow.


	25. Memento

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Do you really... take pride in hurting those who have not done anything wrong?"
> 
> Johannes moved his stern gaze from his wooden desk top, to the figure that stood before him. Still, those blue eyes burning with hatred did nothing to unnerve him. He kept his lips pressed against the sides of his laced hands. A different figure sat on one side of the room, deviously smirking.
> 
> The blonde's lips visibly twitched at the Director's silence. "You agreed not to involve anybody else."
> 
> "I agreed not to involve Soma."
> 
> "Soma wasn't supposed to be involved from the very beginning!"

Lenka felt like he was teaming up with Soma instead, except the whole yelling part. Whatever comes up just slash it to hell, the male would grumble every now and then, and the blonde surely is living up to that. The Fallen Zygote shrieked in utter pain as it received a fatal hit straight in its eye. It collapsed to the ground, the huge sac in its back expanding and contracting. The raven-haired male took his part, devouring it dead.

As he was doing so, Yuka had shot another Zygote without breaking a single sweat. Did he miss anything? He surely remembered her being a much more jolly and hyperactive character. Right now, her eyes looked like they contained every bit of hell's fury. "That's two of them," she said. "The Borg is close by. Let's keep each other covered, alright?"

_"I knew it. God, I fucking knew it."_

_Lenka was sure he heard her say. He wasn't even done with the story yet, but his companion's face had already crumpled to an expression he was far from reading. He at least expected her to be surprised of the reveal, or be in distraught. After all, Alisa was manipulated to get Lindow out of the picture. "Knew it?" He questioned with his tone somewhere in between suspicious and curious._

_"If you hadn't woke Alisa up," she said, "I'm quite certain he would have disposed her off too." Disposed? He? Is she referring to Alisa's doctor? What was his name again?_

A wave of Charge Crush collided with the Borg Camlann's thick scales, sending it screeching and wailing in sheer pain. It was only then that Lenka realized he was only about three meters away from the attacking Aragami. It could have killed him while he was lost in his train of thoughts. "Stay on guard!" He was then told. In split second, he caught sight of a quick somersault above him, Yuka landing on two feet and hitting the shield with a powerful blow from her blade.

"I'll go around for the tail," he said, switching to his Rebellion. "Unbound the shield!" She didn't look like she needed to be told though, as her bullets ravaged the Aragami with explosions like it was the God Eaters' last days alive. They were making the most out of it. The raven haired male rolled down to avoid a quick spin of the tail, before he took a dive deeper into the tumultuous battle grounds.

_"Unfortunate ones pay with loyalty, their future, and worse, their life,"_ C told her way back. _"In fact, someone you know is closing in to the last option."_ After she learned that Lindow was investigating Aegis, she should have figured most of it out. Why was she born so goddamn slow?! Maybe if she had told Soma, the whole incident was prevented! But... Yuka felt her insides crumble. Bringing Soma closer to the truth about the Aegis Project would just mess up everything, and he would hate her for it! The blonde forced back her tears, pulling back her Buster Blade. Gathering together all of her negative emotions -- her fear, anxiety, hatred, loneliness, she poured all of them into her next wave. A second forceful Charge Crush dove right towards the Borg Camlann, its shield taking the brute force coming from the attack. To her luck, the blood red wave was diverted from said part, crushing the Aragami's legs instead. Lenka almost got caught in the upsurge if he wasn't agile enough to sprint away from the legs.

The shield was almost at its breaking point.

She ran towards her comrade and tackled him down before they both could get struck by another tail spin. "Change of plans," the blonde said quickly. "I'll go and hit the legs to bring it on a Downed state. Afterwards, use Impulse Edge on the shield to break it!" The younger New-Type lost all his chances of clarifying the order, as the other sped away like lightning, making attempts to close in on the Borg Camlann.

Impulse Edge...? Lenka stared down at his God Arc.

_"I honestly thought it wouldn't take you very long to figure it out," Yuka frowned at him, "but Dr. Sakaki had added this nifty trick on your God Arc. He calls it Impulse Edge."_

_The male tilted his head slightly in question._

_"According to the giddy old man, you should be able to do a short shot attack even while in blade form," she explained. "Though the power of your shot would still depend on the kind of bullet you have loaded into your gun. Since you use a Blast Gun, bomb-type ammunition with a crush attribute will be most effective." She flicked her wrist, and they both watched a lone Ogretail materialize in the center of the training room. "Let's start with a small target you could practice on."_

_"Aren't you going to show me?"_

_"Me? No," she laughed. "Dr. Sakaki said Impulse Edge is available only for Long Blade users, like how we Buster wielders uniquely use Charge Crush. And, well, since he had only added it recently, he wishes to see how well it would fare." The blonde then slipped a hand into her shorts' pocket, recognizing small beeping sounds. Yuka flipped her phone open. "I'll... be right back."_

He hasn't told her that he really hadn't gotten a hang of how Impulse Edge works. He watched her deflect the Borg's continuous needle jabs with her shield, before sliding underneath the Aragami.

Yuka shot at its underbelly in the process, and hurriedly switched to blade form so that she could hammer down the Aragami's hind legs. It knocked down the godly beast with a pained screech. After that, she finished her assaults with a quick devour that unbound the Oracle Cells in the hind legs. "Lenka! Shield!"

Though he wasn't sure how exactly he'd do it, Lenka rushed in, God Arc firmly held in his hand. Yuka was already filling up the third Charge Crush, this time possessing greater power and intensity than the last two combined. He would have to break the shield as much as possible to ensure larger damage on the Aragami that was beginning to stand up. "Utsugi Lenka! Just. Shoot!"

* * *

> _「_ _IRIS Progress Report_ _」_
> 
> _「_ _The serum showed different behaviors with the two types of Bias Factors. As expected, it progressed negatively with the P56 Bias Factor, eventually being dissolved and terminated almost immediately. This, however, is a strange feat on its own, as others bearing the same bias were rapidly devoured by the trespassing cells. Subject Code: Alyssum was physically strong to fight back against the metamorphosis and terminate the process as stated above. Said act, on the other hand, greatly took a toll on the subject's mental state._
> 
> _It is then inferred that the much more stable properties of the P56 Bias Factor makes it unfit for future use in regards to the Ark Project. On another note, further tests with Subject Code: Iris shall proceed._ _」_

"Do you really... take pride in hurting those who have not done anything wrong?"

Johannes moved his stern gaze from his wooden desk top, to the figure that stood before him. Still, those blue eyes burning with hatred did nothing to unnerve him. He kept his lips pressed against the sides of his laced hands. A different figure sat on one side of the room, deviously smirking.

The blonde's lips visibly twitched at the Director's silence. "You agreed not to involve anybody else."

"I agreed not to involve Soma."

"Soma wasn't supposed to be involved from the very beginning!"

This time, C spoke up. "Well, he raises a good point, **Ir** \--" The pale girl didn't even flinch after Yuka had grabbed the nearest possible object and hurled it towards her direction. It happened to be the glass cubic souvenir long sitting atop Johannes' desk, and it shattered to pieces upon hitting the wall C was leaning on. Glass fragments rested on her shoulder top, along with the small flower it once enclosed. The enraged blonde turned back towards the unfazed director. "I shouldn't have been that surprised. After you staged my father's death, I should have expected that you can eliminate anything and everything that will stand in the way of your goals."

 The teal-haired female snickered. "Don't forget that it can also include you."

"Sea, provoking would amount to nothing," he finally said, as said female's lips pursed to a small smirk. Yuka angrily fumed at them both, yet decided to strengthen her composure. As every bit of noise died out and the blonde God Eater had gathered herself together, she opened her mouth once more, "How come... Alisa survived that day?"

From the side, the pale girl cackled in delight. Johannes brought his attention over to the now grinning image of C. "Well, well. If I had placed quite a lot of things in line for something extremely risky, I wouldn't just let my tools go to the trash without being used, no?" The information broker asked. "That applies to you, too. Twice even."

Yuka's brows furrowed, as she mouthed a 'what' over at the smaller female. _"Do I always have to look after your guinea pigs?"_ A distant voice rang at the back of her head. It couldn't be C, could it? Because she seriously should remember anything at the very least.

The other seemed to have read her thoughts, that she said, "I'm not surprised you don't remember, Flower, and don't even try. It would only make your head explode." C rose from where she was seated, dusting glass fragments off her shoulder. She walked up to the bewildered blonde and snaked one arm around hers, before dragging her out of the room. "Keep your chill, Flower," she snickered as the door closed behind them. "He's not going to expunge you or Little Red Riding Hood. Not just yet, so enjoy all possible chummy times with Moon boy."

She looked neither pleased nor flustered, and so C decided to push a forward a little further. "A little word of advice, Yuka. If you want to grow yourself some thorns, don't make them too big. Once he sees that you're more of a hindrance than an aid, I'm certain he wouldn't have any second thoughts on eradicating you. After all, you're not exactly an irreplaceable piece."

After she had left those words with a snicker, C went on her way.

* * *

She didn't know why she volunteered to talk to Sakuya, even with her mind still haywire. Yuka regretted not taking a few minutes of rest to pull herself together, before she decided on this. Her eyes met the sniper's, and for a brief moment, Yuka understood how she felt -- why Sakuya had been acting like this for days. Losing someone you hold so dear is more than a painful thing to go through, and she knew how it felt too. "I see. Alisa's... Thanks for letting me know," the older female said with a smile. "But really, to think that the two of them can communicate just by touching... I wonder if that's a power New-Types share."

Yuka frowned slightly and sighed. "They share," she corrected. "For some reason, it doesn't... work... on me." To which Sakuya chuckled. "But it's nice, no? There'd be someone to stay by her side who understands her." The conversation died out pretty seen, however, as the other averted her gaze. "But, I didn't come here just for that."

The raven-haired female turned back to her. "There is something else?" They both eyed the disc she held in her hand. "Is this... about Lindow?"

"I haven't told anyone in the team yet," she continued. "But I think... I think Lindow's death was staged." She heard a small gasp escape from the other's lips, but other than that, the older said no word, simply reclining back on the couch. "What do you think?"

"That day was full of anomalies to begin with," she replied. "Having errors such as mixed up commands is fatal to our job. It doesn't just happen by accident, and those details can't just be altered or touched by anybody. It has to be someone with enough authority."

_Like the Director_ , the blonde wished to voice out.

"And did you notice Alisa was acting a bit different? After that... after that..."

Yuka sighed. "Sakuya, I know losing Lindow was a big blow to you, but apart from the peculiar points of the Moon in the Welkin assignment, there was... there was actually a guiding device hidden in the chamber where he got trapped in."

"You can't be serious."

"You think it was a coincidence? I'd say it has been planned perfectly for quite long."


	26. Black Trojan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You've been here for months." His face looked like his heart had just been stabbed with disappointment, as he stared at the other.
> 
> It wasn't that surprising though. Lenka appears to be the kind of person whose life revolves solely on being a God Eater. He then opened his mouth to respond, but his gaze moved over from the young scout to what lie beyond. "Oh, Sakuya. You're back already?"
> 
> Said female nodded with a sigh. "Yes. Alisa is still at rest, and I don't want to bother her or anything. I'll... try again later. What is Yuka doing?"
> 
> And they all whipped their heads over to the other end of the couch. Kota almost screamed.

It was another day that started out pretty weird.

Yuka, drained of every bit of energy, zombie-walked out of the section elevator. She was literally dragging her two feet across the floor, before she slumped next to her partner. Soma, as usual, was seated on one end of the couch, his hood pulled low. The only unusual part about him was that he held this book in his hands, reading it in silence. Even after Yuka had dropped her head to lean on his shoulder, the taller male remained shut.

There weren't any assignments set for them just yet, so everyone simply sat there, having a good time. It was a rare day to be off from work. The Second and Third Unit were also lounging down by the mission counter, with Tatsumi, like every other day, striking his daily conversations with Hibari. It hadn't been that long when Sakuya turned to her team and asked, "Do you think Alisa's awake by now? I haven't visited her since..." Her voice trailed off. "I really wish to talk to her too." Lenka obviously stiffened, albeit slightly.

Kota looked back at his teammates, confused by the sudden silence, before he shifted his attention to Sakuya. "Pretty sure she is." It earned a small smile from their Vice Captain, before she disappeared behind the elevator doors.

"Soma..." Yuka then groaned softly against said man's sleeve. "Ice cream~"

Lenka and Kota sighed in unison, knowing how this day would go from here. She would get Soma irritated of her all throughout the entire day. She was even rubbing her cheek against his sleeve for attention, and the boys sat there, waiting for the white-haired God Eater's fuse to blow up. To their surprise, he shifted slightly on his seat and placed his book to rest over his crossed legs, not removing his gaze from the seemingly interesting page. Soma slid one hand into a pocket in his pants and pulled out an unwrapped popsicle. Meanwhile, Yuka leaned against him comfortably, obviously half-asleep.

He then ripped the wrapper open, his eyes still fixated on his reading material, propped the popsicle ice cream out and stuck it in the mouth of his partner. Afterwards, he picked up his book and turned to the next page.

"Did that really just happen?" A bewildered Kota asked, staring wide-eyed at the blonde who appeared contented with her ice cream, and Soma who acted like nothing happened. The world is full of mysteries indeed, and one of them is their friendship.

The silence was slowly beginning to murder them, most especially the boy who can't sit still for two minutes, Kota. He scooted over to Lenka and began their conversation with a "The new Bugarally episode came out last night!" with a big, excited grin. "And it was even more thrilling than the last episode!" Waving his arms in the air as he narrated every event that kept him up through the morning. Lenka's attention never strayed from the talking comrade; though he barely had an idea of what exactly was it about. "What do you mean you haven't seen it?" Kota finally asked with a frown, realizing his babbling had amount to nothing. "You've been here for months." His face looked like his heart had just been stabbed with disappointment, as he stared at the other.

It wasn't that surprising though. Lenka appears to be the kind of person whose life revolves solely on being a God Eater. He then opened his mouth to respond, but his gaze moved over from the young scout to what lie beyond. "Oh, Sakuya. You're back already?"

Said female nodded with a sigh. "Yes. Alisa is still at rest, and I don't want to bother her or anything. I'll... try again later. What is Yuka doing?"

And they all whipped their heads over to the other end of the couch. Kota almost screamed.

The blonde, contently soloing a popsicle a while ago, was now seated on the lap of her partner, head resting on his shoulder and arms thrown around his neck in a hug. To level up the oddity of their behavior, Soma only continued to read, doing his best in pretending she wasn't much of a bother. Apart from that, both of them were silent. Of course, Kota opened his mouth first, "Hey, Soma, don't you think it'd be a better idea to—"

"Back off," the other hissed.

Confirmed. Soma low-key likes warm hugs.

"Oooh~ Is it World Hugs Day?" A new voice rose as the Den gates parted open with a long mechanical sound. "I'm giving free hugs!" And the figure stretched both arms wide open, expecting for at least someone to comply. Sakuya simply sighed. Lenka stared at C in confusion, mouthing "World Hugs Day?" over to Kota who was backing away as far as the couch would allow him to. "Nobody? Lame." C pouted, her shoulders slumping down as she stepped into the lobby. "Anyway, Red Riding Hood's going to be reinstated sooner or later, so what's with the frowny faces?"

"Red Riding Hood? You mean Alisa?" asked Sakuya.

C grinned as she walked over behind Soma and slouched down in an attempt to hug him too. World Hugs Day, she says. The male grumbled a complaint, the smaller female obviously pressing what little of her weight against him.

"That's not a good idea, C," warned the Vice Captain.

Blue eyes fluttered open with a low, murderous growl, and Yuka proved Sakuya right. In that kind of state, she head butted C away from Soma with such force that the noisy information broker's footing slipped, and she tumbled down the stairs. There were surprised yelps from the lower floor that emanated throughout the lobby, along with C's retarded seal laugh, as she laid flat on the table where the Second and Third Units gathered around. There was a small huff that escaped from the blonde, who finally ripped herself from the hooded male. "I'm done charging~" She then hummed as she stretched, her sour mood dissipating. "Assault Corporal Ichinose Yuka, reporting for duty." Though her forehead was visibly red from the recent assault against C.

"Since when were you promoted?" Soma gave a questioning glare.

"Just yesterday, actually." Yuka turned to Lenka with another hum, her head now tilted slightly while wearing a small smile. "Have you tried checking on Alisa again?" It seemed that even though she was half-asleep the past hours, her head was well aware of what was happening around her. Then again, being able to drive C away from Soma should have been enough proof.

Sakuya shifted her attention to the raven-haired male as well. "I think that's a good idea. I'll be there in a bit." Lenka told her something along the lines of not pushing Alisa too hard, and test the waters at least, before he climbed up the elevator. Her expression hardened.

They were in that silent state when the Second Unit came up to the upper level of the lobby. Brendan was holding C through her furred hood, lifting her off the ground so that she was kicking her legs in the air. The bastard was demanding to be let go. "I'm sorry but, we don't really have any need for her."

"We don't want to," the Second Unit Leader laughed. C huffed at what Tatsumi had said, and ordered the male in blue to put her down, to which he complied. "See you guys later."

"Take care."

* * *

Kota pouted. "A separate assignment? Again? We don't get to have you with us on our missions the past days." And then he began to suspiciously stare at the female. "It's because you've just been promoted, getting higher paying jobs now and you don't want to share!"

Sakuya flinched upon hearing those. Of course she knew Kota only meant it as a joke, but that was exactly what Lindow was up to before the Vajra fiasco of the Welkin assignment. He was working on jobs on his own, without any of them knowing a thing or two about it. "You have dates now, too?"

The question did get her attention though, as the blonde thought the fellow veteran meant it literally. However, noticing the worried look on her face she tried to hide, Yuka responded to Sakuya's question with a small laugh, her inquiry simply rolling off her back. "No. Of course not, Sakuya. At least... that's not what I'd call them."

"I know I might sound like a broken recorder by now, but... be careful, okay?"

"Yes, Mom~" She grinned.

Soma was the first to enter the God Arc storage room. In matter of minutes, he was already exiting the said room with his weapon now in his hand. No words were said as the same male stopped just outside the room where C was also waiting. Kota was next in line, and he hurried off to the terminal. "You know, Mr. Grumpy Pants sure looks less grumpy today. His forehead creases have disappeared." There were mechanical locking sounds as his gun rose from the line up, and the boy pulled himself from the terminal to take it.

Sakuya, still being ordered to take a rest, simply watched. "I can't help but notice that too." Yuka kept her hands behind her, spotting a wide smile like a child hiding an act of mischief. "You didn't do something, did you?"

"Maybe Yuka-san drugged Soma to silence and behaving," Lenka, next in line to Kota, said in a joking tone, though Sakuya and Kota's expression became an alarmed one.

"You know you'd get reprimanded for that! Punished even!" Their vice captain exclaimed. "Did you?!"

But the blonde only laughed, as Lenka took his God Arc off the storage. She was still smiling while putting her hand onto the device, allowing its system to recognize her armlet. "I didn't," she then answered with another laugh, her voice nearly drowned out by the long groaning sound of a machine coming to life. A little while later, the storage room presented to her the weapon she seeks. While her hand rested on Knightfall's handle for a few good seconds, Yuka's gaze noticeably shifted over to the pale girl making attempts of hugging Soma. Though she pulled back a short while later, a small smirk graced her lips as she detached her God Arc completely off its rack. "I can't possibly do that." They found believing her pretty hard though, for she even gave C a high-five as they left the storage room.

"Black Trojan, right?" The blonde later asked the others out for said mission — Soma, Kota and Lenka. The latter two looked surprised upon being questioned, though they later cleared their response with a nod. "Against a Quadriga?" They nodded once more. "Good!" She then cheered, walking over to the mission head — Utsugi Lenka. On her hand was a round disc, similar to the one they use to record their reports. "Doctor Sakaki has theorized that Impulse Edge would be an effective assault against a Quadriga's front legs. I was supposed to oversee and write a report about it but stuff happened. I have other errands to run."

As the raven-haired male reluctantly took the disc, Soma's question came. "Why can't you just do it in a simulation?"

"Yeah," the young scout agreed. "Lenka could get into so much trouble trying it with a real Quadriga already."

Of course she knows that. Besides, he has the two by his side! He won't be getting into any kind of trouble. Yuka pouted slightly at their complains, as she turned towards Soma. " _Babe_..." The (annoying) endearment obviously made the male flinch, albeit very slightly. "... if you're going to have sex—" This time, it was the two younger God Eaters that she had shocked. "— would you prefer a simulation over a real thing?" Soma could only grunt and roll his eyes, though that was as far as his reaction went. "I didn't know you are that kind of person," came her short, fake sobs. "My pride as a woman has been hurt and tarnished."

The two boys were beet red in embarrassment, hearing how she had bluntly said the ' _s_ ' word like it was ' _candy_ '. On contrary, the white-haired male only frowned. "Woman your ass."

"I do not like it in the ass! B-But I'm willing to give it a try for you!"

At this point, Soma had given up. He face palmed. "Let's just get this over with already." He started pushing her over to where her jeep was parked, while the others headed over for the waiting chopper. It was a surprise that he hadn't thrown a fit of rage after such verbal assaults, because the boys weren't quite sure if they could do anything at all if their male senior commits murder right there and then. "Some times she's smart, most of the time she's an idiot," Kota mumbled in slight disbelief, staring at the pair. Of course Soma was frowning as he bent slightly, hovering above the female God Eater seated on the driver's seat, his mouth moving in an obviously lecturing manner. Yuka was pouting.

Their pilot had already started the engine when Soma boarded the vehicle. He slumped on his seat and crossed his arms over his chest, grumbling death threats low on his throat. Yuka gave C on the passenger seat another high-five as they drove ahead of the boys, her grin noticeably big. Lenka received a ton of death glares as he turned to the God Eater seated from across him, his hood shadowing nearly half of his face. "She kissed you, didn't she? She was grinning ear-to-ear."

"Ohohoho~" Kota then laughed. "That'd be... Yuka: one, Soma: zero."

"One more word and everyone will be crying over your dead body," he snarled at the teasing lad, who immediately shut up, even sitting up straight in his spot in the helicopter. Apparently, the civil spell casted on Soma is only effective when Yuka's within range. Bummer.

* * *

Yuka didn't know why she suddenly hoped the branch would hand C a God Arc or something. She isn't even sure if that could be done. Nevertheless, the sight of said female sitting contently on the side while she did all the work simply did not sound fair. Especially not to her. "Did Stargazer tinker with your God Arc?" The blonde was then asked as she walked over to her. C's attention fell over to the weapon bathing in Aragami blood still dripping from it as the God Eater strapped it back to its case. "I'm surprised he didn't mind."

"Why would the Director even mind the God Arc?" Yuka asked back. "And move out of the driver's seat. That's mine."

Her pale cheeks puffed out to a pout. "Aren't you going to do a little exploring? Come on, I'll help you find that silly Singularity. No additional charges."

C was too nice, it was almost suspicious. But no part in her would reject free help, regardless of whoever offered. Yuka grumbled slightly as she uncased Knightfall once more. The hooded girl jumped out of their jeep, and began to walk with destinations unknown. "I'd have to say, you're getting pretty good at it." The information broker turned to face the taller female trailing behind, and she drew circles over her mask as she smirked. Her eyes. C was referring to her eyes. Specifically, her sight. "Good job, Flower. Oh, and there's nothing to worry about. You're not going to be blind, or be required to wear a mask."

She received a frown from the female. Obviously, C knows about how sometimes, she just sees things as patches of white that indicates their Oracle Cell composition. Or something. The important fact there is that C knows. "Look, save your talk some other time, okay? One round of scouting and we're done. I have to report to Major Amamiya after this."

To her surprise, C came to a stop just as they arrived at a pretty steep slope. The ground was dry and rocky, and the teal-haired girl even kicked a small pebble down the terrain, watching it roll down to the bottom. She still wore that grin of hers, and beckoned the other to come close.

"What is that now?" She sighed, taking her steps to the other's side. However, as she was doing so, a soft crumpling sound emanated from beneath her foot. Yuka stepped back to see what it was, her mind momentarily shutting down as she stared.

"Looks like they've been here, huh?" C finally said, watching as the female picked up the now crumpled cigarettes. There were even two more sticks inside. "Must be close by then."

It took a few more seconds before Yuka managed to compose herself. "What... what are you talking about?"

C's grin only returned, and she gestured at the female to look.

Of course the sight below was not different from the sight above — a barren ground littered with debris or Aragami, or both. Yuka was still holding onto that cigarette box when a flash of white not far away caught her attention. She squinted her eyes. "C... I've seen that girl before. The one on the dress down there. She was on my Red Antares assignment." How did she get here though? All by herself? She didn't even look any older than her? And is she trying to ride that Ogretail?! "C!"

The next words she heard though froze her solid. "That's what you've been looking for, Flower. That's the Singularity — your ticket to saving your life."

... What...?

She would have struck C with her God Arc if she hadn't forgotten that she was holding it. "Don't fuck with me, C. That's a  _girl_. The Singularity is an  _Aragami_." As she was about to jump down and butt in before that Ogretail loses its shit on the girl now horseback riding on it, C gripped her tight on the arm.

"Sorry but can't let you run free for now, Flower. Things are going to get bad if you don't settle down. Don't worry, she's not going anywhere."

"Bullshit, C. I'd rip your hand off your arm if I have to."

Meanwhile, the smaller girl had placed a hand over her face. "Sorry, not sorry,  **Iris**."

Then things went black.


	27. God or Human?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The faint tapping sounds had stopped. "Soma... It’s funny how... so much fear instigates one's inner monster."
> 
> Figures.
> 
> "What did she tell you this time?"
> 
> There was a short settling of silence as the blonde left the terminal. Her eyes were dull and red, and she buried her face to his chest in a hug. "The world will end as ashes. The Aragamis will prevail, or be destroyed with the human race. Human survival is nothing but an impossible dream, as everything else we have been doing only prolongs our suffering."
> 
> "So take your pick: die a human, or live as a God."

Yuka was pretty sure she was forgetting another vital piece of her memory. Though, it was such a hurdle to place her finger right on it. C, at her side, snickered, "Don't push yourself too hard, Flower." Meanwhile, the blonde sat silently there, hand pressed against her forehead, and deciding whether to throw up or not. "On another note, congratulations!" The pale girl grinned. "You're still alive after three times of exposure! Your mental strength surprised me, to be honest. The best result I got in the past... _n_ years was dealing a good amount of damage to the brain. You sure are tough, no? No wonder people would be chasing after you."

"C, just stop talking. PLEASE." Her brain felt like it was melted to goo and forcefully reformed.

The other girl pouted slightly, her shoulders slumping down. Yuka is surprisingly uncooperative after what happened. "One last thing, don't think I do not know what you've been doing."

She received a frown in response, along with a piercing glare that did nothing to unnerve her. However, Yuka spoke no word and instead shifted her attention from the annoyance at her side to her com-link. "Hibari, can you give me the current status of the Black Trojan mission?" She asked the operator on the other end of the line, unconsciously smoothing out the box of cigarettes she still had in her hand. The voice on the other end asked her to wait for a bit, as a faint sound of a swivel chair gliding across the floor rose from the silence, before her line went on hold.

It took a few good minutes for Hibari to resume, and a small sigh of relief became audible before she answered, "Lenka's team has successfully accomplished the Black Trojan mission. They are now en route back to the branch. How about you, Yuka? You are taking awfully long. Is everything alright? Should I send in back-up?"

Once again, C snickered, but the blonde glared her away and gestured that she start the engine. _No playing around, bastard_ , she even mouthed. "I'm good," Yuka then answered. "C knocked me out cold for a while, but we're also heading back." Before the operator could go asking what she meant and what exactly happened, she ended the link.

They drove home at a surprisingly normal speed, with C's mouth shut. Probably because Yuka threatened to mask that big mouth of hers with duct tape, so it wasn't a surprise that the teal-haired girl would be looking over at her once in a while with a small pout on her face. Every now and then, she would ask, "You really don't want to listen?" and would always be shot down with two words: "Duct tape." It felt like C had told her enough important points already, and digesting more would explode her brain to tiny bits. Aside from the mental torture, her workload had suddenly increased.

The raised confidentiality and difficulty of her recent special missions were no biggie, to be honest. Hell, it was the reason behind the promotion. The real horror happened right after that.

_"Are you sure you want to refuse?" Tsubaki asked. "This is an opportunity others don't want to miss."_

_Her immediate reaction was to scowl. "But they aren't me," the younger answered, her expression morphing to a stoic one as she averted her gaze from the eyes of the older female. She didn't understand why they keep on insisting she think the offer through. Aside from the fact that there are others who can better fill in Lindow's former position, her history as a unit leader is a nightmare she didn't want to go through again. "I stand by my decision, Major. Please tell the top that." Why can't they go ask Sakuya instead, who is the Vice Captain? Or Soma, since he has the most experience, despite being a constant rule breaker? And then there is the newest addition to the lineup, Lenka? Besides, she has more pressing matters to attend to. Though being in a higher position does have a few benefits she could take advantage of, she can't just afford to keep herself busy with something else. She still has IRIS to worry about._

_It led Tsubaki to cross her arms, eyes studying the blonde for a brief moment. "Well then," she began to say, picking up the clip board she had laid atop her table. "Hand over a twenty-page report detailing Utsugi Lenka's performance. The Director would need it."_

_"Y-Yes, ma'am." Did she really just throw a huge boulder down at her? Twenty pages?! Seriously!? A twenty-page report solely about Lenka? Damn, Soma might get jealous._

"Are you done daydreaming?" And cue her face twisting to a hateful scowl. "Oh, you heard me. Pretty darn sure you are now." The vehicle came to a stop and the pale girl patted at the steering wheel. Switch. Yuka still refused to give her even a single glance even after they had returned to the road. C was grinning.

The God Eater kept her gaze straight ahead. "Don't think I'm forgetting, C. I let you have your way with Soma and keep yourself entertained. Now, hand over what I need."

C chuckled. "Oh well, re-enacting the whole balcony bonanza was indeed a sight to see." She even stretched one arm out in the air while her other hand pressed over her chest. " _'But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?'_ " Afterwards, she shifted her body slightly, so that she was oriented on a different direction, hands now clasped together like she was a fucking princess. "'O _Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?'_ " This caused a spread of rosy coloration over the other's female's cheeks, to which C laughed at. Well, fuck it. Yuka just **had** to be equally high as Soma earlier that morning. "Goodness, Flower. The two of you could pull it off nicely, only of you hadn't leaped out of the balcony to his arms." Her masked vision then peeked at the blonde from underneath her hood, a menacing grin now drawn over the information broker's lips. "But now that I think about it, you don't differ much from Fate, do you? I mean, you both are willing to hurt people for something you need."

"I didn't hurt him. Neither did anybody."

"Ichinose Yuka, the _only_ person in the Far East to ever tarnish the pride of Fenrir's famed Death God, and of course, gets away with it unscathed." C chuckled once more. "But you had your share of fun too, isn't that right?"

At this point, Yuka gritted her teeth, annoyance building up inside her the more the other female kept talking. "The data, Devil."

C then faked a frown as if she meant it. "I hate to disappoint you, Flower, but the price given to me to shut up is quite far from your reach. At least for now, that is. Besides, I work on my own pace and do what I want, unless something extremely interesting is right around the corner."

"What?!" The blue-eyed female growled, eyebrows furiously furrowed. "You're such an asshole, C."

"Why, thank you! I'll take that as a compliment. And here's a tip: get yourself a decoy, Flower, and lead your hunting wolf to a dead-end. That'd clear you of your worries."

* * *

She wasn't used to the sight of Alisa keeping her head low all the time. Although, Yuka can't put any blame on her either. The girl had been through tough times, and was only beginning to rise back up. At least she tries to get back to her feet. "I'm sorry Lenka isn't available for now."

Alisa lifted her head slightly to meet her gaze, her dull blue eyes staring back at hers. "N-No, it's... it's okay. I'm sorry... to be such a bother." Her hand shook slightly as she held onto her God Arc, adjusting her grip once in a while. "Everyone's so busy and I'm still taking a bit of your time."

"No sweat, Alisa," she smiled, in an attempt to ease her. "We're family here. We got to help each other." When the other female only lowered her head and chewed on her lip, Yuka decided to continue with a sigh, "You know... I actually envy you."

"Everyone sees you as a strong minded person," she began to say. "They think you're cool and awesome, especially since you've been beating your own personal battle records. And then you've been promoted just recently. Why envy me?"

She chuckled, though it was a short one, enough to bring back the Russian's eyes back at her. "You know, Europe wasn't exactly a place of rainbows and sunshine. My team -- God Eaters younger than me -- kicked the bucket in Hematite Rose. They said they couldn't get me to talk, and that sometimes I'd just cry or thrash around. It really... took the best of me, since after that, everyone saw me as some kind of monster. I mean, letting those kids just die like that." She chuckled once more, this time pained, her voice almost cracking. "I didn't even try getting back to my feet until the Director said the top might not approve of my transfer if I keep behaving like the suicidal I am. It wasn't the very best way to talk to a person suffering depression but hey, I found a lifeline." And that was only putting it nicely, to at least lift the mood. What really happened was far from how she had word it out. A small smile crossed her lips as she looked back at Alisa. "I wasn't exactly the strong person you think I am. I've been in a deeper pit of hell."

"Still..."

She whistled. Faint rustles registered in her ears. "Oh, looks like the Chi-you's pretty close."

"Sh-Shall we get going then? I'll try my best to support you."

As they took their first steps to move, a glint under the clouded sky caught her attention. "Alisa... Have you always had those?" The female eyed the ornaments adorning the other's uniform, a symbol she's all too familiar with. How come she's not noticed that before? Someone tell her that it wasn't mere coincidence that Alisa has fleur-de-lis in her daily outfit, and that her name just sounds similar to the alyssum flower.

The other, a bit startled at the sudden question, took some time to answer in a nod. "Y-Yes. I've fancied them since they were shown to me. Is... something wrong?"

Yuka shook her head, "No. Nothing. I was just curious," and hopped down to the dangers of the Wailing Plains.

_Subject Code: Alyssum was physically strong to fight back against the metamorphosis and terminate the process as stated above. Said act, on the other hand, greatly took a toll on the subject's mental state._

Coincidence? Hardly.

* * *

"Let's see how well this would fare. Let's stir awake that slumbering monster."

 Alisa had never been so terrified of her own comrade. Though she was pretty sure she had reminded her senior that it was a getting-back-on-track assignment, it just, in the blink of an eye, spiraled to total discord.

It started smoothly, and the Chi-you didn't pose much of a threat. Alisa recognized an array of combinations available for New-Type God Arcs, as the blonde female made consecutive assaults on the avian Aragami. Charge Crush, devour, fire an Aragami bullet, repeat. Once in a while, when she finds time to breathe, she would goad at the shaking Russian to at least try to fire.

But Alisa could feel the fear running rampant throughout her veins. What if she does another mistake? What if she ends up endangering the life of the other? She didn't want to cause any more deaths. Carrying the guilt was already enough to break her down and hearing people mock her and laugh at her only worsens her pain. The least she could do was ensuring that the other stays alive.

Yuka laughed, raising her shield against the Chi-you's homing bomb ball. "I kind of miss the haughty Russian New-Type. Not much of a _mistst_ _ü_ _ck_ now, are we?"

"Y-You still haven't told me what it means."

But she didn't receive an answer, as the blonde female went to ravage their enemy once again.

Until this Fallen Zygote spawned out of nowhere and swooped right into the blonde, pushing her away from the downed Chi-you and sending her crashing down on the murky grounds of the battlefield. She hit the ground head first that seeing blood trickling down her forehead was not a surprise at all.

"Bitch," Alisa heard her hiss, just as the Chi-you shifted direction farthest away from the pair of God Eaters.

"You're pretty agitated yourself, and that calm exterior is nothing but a fragile facade. How about we shatter that completely?"

She just took her eyes off her senior in split second, and the moment she caught up, blood was raining from mid-air. The fallen Zygotes' bodies were torn apart, and Yuka was halfway to the Chi-you's location. Alisa was shouting as she tried to catch up. "Stay back!" The blonde had warned.

Too late.

Alisa had crossed the enemy's line of sight and was distracted with her attempts to stick close to the blonde that the Chi-you regarded her as the best target for another assault. She doesn't understand why, on critical situations such as that, people would simply be struck and frozen. She was staring straight into an incoming bomb ball.

There she was, being a weakling again, and had to be saved by people way tougher than she is.

"Are you... hurt...?"

She was. Her body was flung away like a piece of paper upon impact, hitting the nearest obstruction, a sturdy piece of a building. She was hurt. Just as she thought she had grown stronger to protect those that matter to her, life had to bring her back to slums. Life had to ingrain in her head that she was weak and had to be looked after all the time. Why life had not let her die instead, she's yet to understand.

"I... I should be the one asking that!"

The other laughed. The silver-haired Russian was certain she heard her mumble something along the lines of _'Soma's going to murder me later on,'_ as she laughed once more, her skin visibly smoking and red from the recent attack she took. The Chi-you was beckoning at the pair of God Eaters, but she blasted that piece of garbage to shreds with a powerful wave of Charge Crush. Yuka could feel her legs beginning to fail, just from the amount of stamina that took, but she forced herself to stand up with her weapon as support, as she turned back towards the God Eater in red. "I really hope I've been much help. Soma often tells me I'm not very good in teaching people."

Like hell she could tell her that! "Well... I think I'm getting my muscle memory back. And I'm getting the hang of the basics once more." Her fingers noticeably weren't shaking anymore, a small confident smile crossing her lips as she stared down at her gun. "Perhaps I could... fire a shot or two next time?"

"Oh, that's nice! I heard Kota's offered to help you out with your gun and bullets."

"Y-yeah..."

"How nice of him, right? He's getting pretty serious about this God Eater business now too. Even Major Amamiya is pleased."

"Everyone is steadily improving. I'm being left behind."

"You're just lost at the moment, Alisa, and you've just began to find your way back."

The entire moment was just too serene that they both fell to utter calmness. The strong breeze continued to brush against both girls' skin and hair as they stood there, discussing matters among them. Though she was thankful she didn't put the gun down too quickly. "Yuka-san! Assault from the back!"

The large mass of Oracle Cell exploded right behind the blonde's back, leaving nothing but the skull head of an Ogretail. "Alisa... you did it! You fired a shot!" Of course she was aware of the Aragami, and if the other had not done anything, Yuka would have been the one to tear it open.

"Oh yeah, good job, Red Riding Hood."

"The fuck are you doing here, C?" Yuka immediately scowled. "We're just about to head home."

The pale girl's form of reply was a pout she obviously faked. "Already? Mind doing me a bit of a cleaning favor?" She was grinning. Correct them if they're wrong, but something sounded a bit different with C right now. Her smirks and grins appeared much more devious than normal. Is she plotting her evil ideas once more? "There are a few Aragamis crowding the neighboring area. I'd pay you double the amount Fenrir gives, and hand over Soma's drugs."

"Soma's drugs, Yuka-san?"

C laughed, and boy did it send chills up their spines. It sounded like a devilish laughter erupting straight from the pits of hell. Though, Yuka knows C would not stop until she gets what she wants. "Fine. I'll do it. Alisa, take the chopper and head back. C, hand over an area map at the very least."

"You go on ahead, Flower."

Instead, the blonde's eyes fell over to the Russian God Eater standing in silence. "Head home, _schwei_ _ß_ _ter._ "

"I'll see you off! Soma-san would do definitely be asking questions of your whereabouts if I return alone. I have to present a plausible report." And she did watch the other disappear into the distance, holding that massive buster blade in one hand, and a map on the other.

The part where she boarded the copter and headed home, she wasn't sure about that, because the next thing she remembered was waking up in the Sick Bay, back at the Den. Sakuya threw her arms around her in a tight hug, as she cried, "Thank goodness you're okay!"

"Did... did something happen? What am I doing here?"

Kota stood by the Vice Captain's side. "We should be the one asking. Fifteen minutes after Yuka reported that your mission is over, neither of you returned and Soma's _Yuka-senses_ were tingling pretty badly so the Major had us help him scout your area."

Sakuya took the liberty of narrating from there. "We found you lying unconscious on your own. Thankfully, you weren't injured and there were no Aragamis around. Don't you really recall what happened there?"

The Russian shook her head. "I do remember C arriving and asking Yuka-san of a favor. Apart from that, my thoughts are a pitch black hole. Oh, is Yuka-san alright?"

The redhead could only scratch the back of his head. "Define ' _alright_ '."

"What does he mean?"

Sakuya sighed. "Well... Soma found her, but... things just got a bit complicated. She's been crying, but she doesn't tell us why. Even Soma was forced to take a break off work to keep her company."

_"How about a little conversation with the Devil, Flower?"_

* * *

Soma could clearly hear those little _tap, tap, tap_ on the terminal keyboard even from the shower. Since they arrived home, Yuka had been staring blankly into space, and recently had she just started working on that report in silence. To put it short, she had returned to that state again, and he wasn't surprised.

He found her venting out all her anger into a handful of Aragamis of different species, blindly hitting them head-on with pure brute force, whether they be small or medium in size. He knew she was mad, because that's exactly what he looks like when he engages in battle with his mind in shambles. Still, there was something else that played in his head like a broken video file.

The Chi-you advanced for a chop attack, but she intervened halfway, sparring against the Aragami. She broke its fists like they were fragile glass, and ripped its metal plates off the stitches on its limbs. Not with a predator or a God Arc, but with bare hands. She _is_ mad.

His gaze fell over to the female standing before the terminal, still working on that report in silence, as he wiped his hair dry, before sliding himself into one of his shirts. At least now he figured out what really happened to that Aether months back. It's just as what her father had told him when an accident at the lab occurred.

Yuka, when uncontrolled, can go far beyond the definition of human.

_"So look after her for me, alright, Soma?"_

"Hey..." He began, waiting to see if she would pause from that work and turn to him. She didn't, but Soma decided to push forward. "It was that bastard's fault, wasn't it? Haven't you been told many times to stay away from her?"

The faint tapping sounds had stopped. "Soma... It’s funny how... so much fear instigates one's inner monster."

Figures.

"What did she tell you this time?"

There was a short settling of silence as the blonde left the terminal. Her eyes were dull and red, and she buried her face to his chest in a hug. "The world will end as ashes. The Aragamis will prevail, or be destroyed with the human race. Human survival is nothing but an impossible dream, as everything else we have been doing only prolongs our suffering."

_"So take your pick: die a human, or live as a God."_


	28. Adrenaline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her eyes narrowed slightly. “I’m a Medic Corporal, Yuka. I’m not as good as Dr. Sakaki, but I do know my drugs. I am a sniper too. You would have to do a bit better tricking me. That wasn’t an epinephrine.” She saw the other avert her gaze and lower her head. “That was an ampule, wasn’t it?”
> 
> Yuka only looked up and grinned wide.

“Oh, is Kota coming with you today?”

Both of Yuka’s eyes were bloodshot, and there were thick bags under her eyes, the three younger God Eaters could only stare at her and at the smile crossing said blonde’s face. She carried a clip board in her hand, and was obviously still tired from the little incident yesterday. “Uhm... yeah,” the redhead teen managed to answer, though not quite surprised that the older New-Type is pushing herself to work despite the others’ constant advice for her to rest. “Alisa is feeling a whole lot more confident with her gun, so I’m going to help her out with the best I can.”

Lenka decided to join in the conversation, a smile also present in his ever confident face. “Kota actually volunteered for it.”

“How sweet,” the older chirped. “But... Lenka—“ Her cheeks puffed slightly as she gazed over at the raven-haired lad. “—won’t you be getting in the way of their date?”

“D-Date?” Alisa’s face turned the same color as her cap, gasping loudly. “I-It’s not a date! As you know, t-they are only helping me out!” It wasn’t helping though that the usually-loud Kota had fallen silent and Lenka was helplessly grinning at the older female. “Yuka-san, you need to sleep. _Da_ , I’m certain it is only the lack of sleep getting into your head.”

Sadly, her attention had already shifted to the male in blue hood passing by the hall. “Soma, Kota and Alisa are going out on a date. Want to come join them and make it a double date?”

For someone who was inconsolable yesterday, Yuka Ichinose was pretty cheerful. And for someone who took an unplanned day off to comfort her, Soma didn’t look too pleased with her energetic outburst. He still wore that intimidating glare each and every one of them had gotten used to. Though, they expected him to brush off the female like he usually does, it was a sudden change of pace for him to stop by his tracks and actually give Yuka attention. The three God Eaters watched in wonder as the taller male bent slightly next to the blonde’s ear and whispered.

She visibly straightened and lowered her head. “Right...” She then said, her words coming out almost like a mumble. “You’re right...”

“Just brief them with their mission and do as you’re told.”

Whatever Soma had told her, it obviously sucked out the other’s energy as she walked back to three who looked more confused than ever. “You’ll be the one briefing us for our mission?” Alisa then asked, to which the other female nodded.

She sighed, flipping over a few papers clipped on her board. “Major Amamiya had advised me to stay away from field work for a while, after the mess yesterday and well... I kind of stayed up all night finished two reports. She and Dr. Sakaki agreed that I’m not physically fit for any assignment due to fatigue. It sucks, yeah.” A small chuckle slipped past her lips, but her eyes returned back to her clip board as she found the file she needed. “This is the one you requested, isn’t it, Alisa? Monkey Guts?”

“ _Da._ ”

“Alright. Your assignment is to eliminate a Kongou and a Gboro-gboro located in the Wailing Plains. We faced a couple of those in the past, so I feel like there shouldn’t be much I should be telling the three of you. Spark attacks work effectively for the both of them, and stay wary for the Kongou’s quick attacks. Keep a watch on these two, okay, Lenka? Also...” She proceeded to look at the next page, and her expression grew a bit grim.

Kota tilted his head in question. “Is there any problem?”

She sighed, the clipboard retreating to her side and sticking the pen to a pocket on her Sniper Coat. “A Borg Camlann had been reported to be nesting in close proximity to the area. Though alone, it displays remarkable power and range, and its shell had always given God Eaters a hard time. Proceed with caution as it has average sight and hearing. Though, if it could be helped, avoid it at all cost. Your safety is top priority.” Her vision shifted over to Alisa, who was nervously twirling a few strands of hair with her index finger. At least her old habits are resurfacing, which is a good sign of recovery. “I entrust Alisa to the two of you. Supplementary trainings would be waiting for both of you if anything bad happens to her.”

“R-Roger.”

She escorted them towards the God Arc storage room, discussing possible battle strategies they could work on in case the Borg Camlann joins the fray and a wide array of bullet recipes they could use. Finally, amidst the meaty discussion they were having, Lenka found the courage to ask, “What did Soma tell you a while back?”

Yuka stiffened, averting her gaze from all three of them. “It’s nothing.”

“He probably bullied _bol'shaya sestra_ again,” Alisa muttered. Seeing how Yuka’s cheeks turned pink at the pair of Russian words, she recognized it did flatter her in some way, and Alisa fell silent, hiding her face under silver locks of hair. “H-He always does.” 

“Why am I not surprised you all see Soma as some kind of meanie?” She chuckled. “It’s not the case though. Soma actually reminded me of something I’ve forgotten over the years.” 

It was Kota’s turn to avenge his embarrassed self and tease the older female. “OH, so he’s a pretty sweet guy himself, huh? Are you guys dating now or what?” Unfortunately for him, the teasing he planned didn’t get the female flustered or anything, as she only chuckled and pushed them into the God Arc storage room. “As much of a scary person he is, Soma also cares for the three of you, you know. Last night, though this might sound unusual to you guys, he was praising you.” 

They appeared delighted to hear that, but the thought of not hearing it from Soma himself kind of ruined the whole thing. Kota immediately frowned and crossed his arms. “So, what did he whisper you?” 

Why are these kids so interested? She sighed at their curiosity. “Just... an uplifting thought as I've said.” The three compressed and pressed their faces against each other, demanding further information. “The... history of my name?” They didn’t buy it. “Okay, fine. You got me. Get going already. You have a helicopter waiting for your lazy meat lumps.” Another sigh escaped her lips as she prodded each of them to the terminal to take their respective God Arcs. “Where a flower blooms, so does hope. If a single flower could survive a deserted land, then humanity could live in a Godforsaken world.” 

There was silence, until Kota spoke up, “I didn’t know Soma was a romanticist.” 

“T-To the landing pad in 300 seconds! Failure to comply means additional homework! Proceed!” 

“Y-YES, MA’AM!”

* * *

Confirmed. His computer had been touched. Soma frowned as he went over the files, and tried to remember what exactly were lost. The reports he was asked to submit in the past remained in his drive, and there weren’t that many that disappeared. Even the photo and video archives and his mission logs were untouched. He wouldn’t probably notice the slight change if he was a huge airhead. But he wasn’t. “IRIS.” He growled out the name low in his throat, the search results on his repository showing no sign of any related file. Impossible, for he had around three or four documents compiling everything he had found out about it and the only file he ever deleted was the one C had sent and told him to delete. He wouldn’t be surprised to find out that it is _his_ doing. His blue eyes narrowed at the bar that continued to load, closing in to the end. Still, no results showed— Soma figured he spoke a little too soon. A single file popped up. 

_「_ _IRIS Progress Report – Final_ _」_

He couldn’t remember when did he file all of his findings into a single document, and he still strongly believed that manipulation happened without his consent and knowledge. Still wearing that disapproving frown across his face, the male God Eater clicked the document open.

"Tell me the truth," frowned Paylor. "Are you the one misleading Soma all this time?" Hr brought his gaze upon the female God Eater standing in his office. "He believes someone went through his personal files, and discarded some very important information. Once I start thinking of who else might have easy access to those, I can't help but place my suspicions on you, Yuka."

Said female immediately scowled, sucking in her teeth. "So, the wolf dog can be tricked."

"Albeit it probably wouldn't last long," added Paylor. "For now, he believes Alisa drew the dead-end right there. What is it about IRIS that you are trying to hide from him?"

Yuka adjusted the ring around her finger. "I'm afraid... I have no authority to disclose any information to un-involved parties. After all, you did say you were merely observing, weren't you? That said, I hope we can proceed to my most favorite part: the medical examinations."

* * *

There is no such thing as a peaceful day in the Far East. Even Hibari, who was as professional as professionals could get, was visibly losing her composure. "Aragamis had breached our defenses! Section E15 is under attack! All hands on deck!" God Eaters of all ranks and types scrambled across the lobby, and even the ones that had just arrived from the Den Gate rushed out to battle. "Has the First Unit not returned yet?" Yuka heard Tsubaki ask the operator.

"I'm afraid I had not received any report from Lenka's group, and Soma's location seemed to have radio interference,” answered Hibari, still fumbling over the buttons present in her control board. “We only have a few units deployed. It would take the Defense Team forty-five minutes to get here.” The older female’s eyebrows twitched in frustration, but the sight of a certain blonde God Eater heading for the storage room didn’t escape her peripheral vision. “And where are you headed?” She inquired.

Yuka yawned. “I’m going to help. All hands on deck, right?” Sakuya came running down to the control room. She was catching her breath and was about to say a few words but the blonde God Eater had pulled her to the God Arc storage room. Even if the Major is against letting them head straight to the field, she wouldn’t have a choice as they currently lack in number. Yuka had seen the number of trespassing Aragamis – they were too much for a three-man unit to handle. And no one could tell her she looked tired as hell, she had three hours of sleep after sending Lenka’s group away. But... just to be sure.

Sakuya watched as she went to take her gun. Yuka had taken a seat on the nearest comfortable chair, holding a slender tube in her hand. The older God Eater saw her held the black tip of the tube firmly against her thigh for good ten seconds.

“Delicious. Let’s go.”

There were families running all over the place, avoiding a herd of Ogretails and a flock of Zygotes scattered in the section of the Outer Ghetto. “Gina! Shun! Karel! Get all the civilians to safety!” Sakuya’s orders rang out. “We’ll buy you time!” Yuka heard her shoot, with blue light setting off from the muzzle of her sniper gun. A pair of orbs was left behind on the trail of said light, which condensed and flew towards the nearest Ogretail. “Hurry!” This was followed by a simultaneous fire of two Ice Breath bullets, which finally brought down the small Aragami on the ground, its body bearing holes that were too cold they even smoke. The blonde went devouring the core right after she had decussated two Zygotes’ bodies in dirty halves.

“Sakuya! There’s a mad Sariel on the loose!” She yelled. “Kongous ravaging at ten o’clock. There’s a whole bunch of Aragamis!” Her predator rose amidst the report, annihilating three Zygotes in one go – is that even possible?! “We need to cover as many of them as possible!”

Okay, that was Plan A. Plan B is to hold out until everyone comes back. Sakuya went over her bullets in a rush, looking for anything that would be just perfect. Whatever she doesn’t see fit, the Vice Captain would fire it out an enemy.

It wasn’t surprising that Yuka was leaping great distances, striking one Aragami after another. She did inject herself a dose of adrenaline prior to surging into battle. A few more of those small Aragamis got torn apart mercilessly under Yuka’s frenzy. “Sakuya! We’ve evacuated the civilians,” reported Shun upon their return. “When are the others coming?”

“First and Second Units will be there at approximately fifteen minutes!” Hibari’s voice reverberated through their comm-links. The redhead operator had barely finished her recent sentence when her panicked voice rose: “Yuka! Three Kongous! Proceed with caution!” Though it appeared as it didn’t get through the blonde, as she swung across, her God Arc’s predator form clamped tightly against the skirt of a Sariel. Upon release, the predator reeled in, and her blade slammed hard against the face of one of the Kongous. “I’m seeing Soma here,” Gina noted.

“I’ll go ahead and cover for her. You guys go ahead and clear the smaller ones. We’ll hold out until everybody gets here.”

“Roger!” And then they dispersed.

Yuka almost lost concentration when Sakuya called out to her and tossed her a handful of ammunition. “The Kongous’ faces and the Sariel’s skirt!” The Vice Captain yelled, light shooting out of the muzzle of her gun and straight towards one Kongou’s torso. While the older did provide cover, she hurriedly loaded all of the bomb bullets given to her. Afterwards, it was time to go in front.

It was a surge of adrenaline, and damn, she was enjoying every bit of it.

The Sariel would have been an easy foe if she could Charge Crush it freely, but the Kongous were not having any of that. Sakuya rounded the Aragamis, firing restlessly. Her targets would switch from one enemy to another, assuring that the blonde New-Type was far from overwhelmed. Yuka was putting her bullets to good use too, walloping the Kongou’s faces with her blast gun then switching to fire one or two bomb bullets. “Could you try to unbind the Sariel’s head?” The sniper then asked. Said Aragami was a pretty hard target considering that the torso and an unbound head is the only thing susceptible to laser bullets.

“Yeah, sure. But teach me how to fly first.”

“That was sarcasm, wasn’t it?”

Yuka frowned. “No, it’s n—“

“Pretty damn sure it is.”

 _Aerial Charge Crush is freaking awesome_ , was the blonde’s immediate thought. But then her grin of amazement twisted to scowl of disdain at the next thing that her mind registered. _It nearly fucking killed me though._ Soma was not contented with completely crushing the Sariel’s head with the Charge Crush; he even allowed his massive blade to strike it down on the ground, eliciting a long, shrill cry. “Is that enough to teach you how to fly?”

“Flowers don’t fly, you silly wolf dog, unless you toss them in the air.” She let a bullet fly, straight towards a Kongou about to pounce on them from behind. Before the male God Eater could even retort, she pushed herself forward, striking the Aragami with her blade in full force. He, on the other hand, went back to the downed Sariel, striking it simultaneously while she kept the Kongous at bay. “I’ll toss you in the air by hitting you in the face with Evil One,” he snorted.

“Oh, mission went badly, huh? Should I kiss you so you’ll feel better?”

Soma only grunted.

Attacks from the rest of the First Unit and the Defense Team came raining from above, and they all moved out to different areas. Alisa was in the battlefield as well, back in shape, though Kota and Lenka noticeably stuck close to her.

The war between gods and God Eaters raged on. Their battlefield fell into utmost chaos, the remnants of houses that stood there before now barely recognizable from what was left. Soma caught sight of the blonde frisk from the highest spot possible, striking a hit at the Sariel’s already unbound head. Using that as leverage, she capered further, clamping down her predator right on a Kongou without any sign of hesitation. Yuka continued to show off with even more and more feats. She swung her God Arc – predator, Kongou and all, using it as a one-handed flail wheeled right into another Kongou. The assault finished by tossing the two Aragamis right to the direction of the Sariel.

All three Aragamis met their end after Soma had unleashed another Charge Crush right into the pile, effectively destroying all of them in one shot.

“Those two...” Kota held his breath. “... Did they just rid of three Aragamis all at once...?”

Sakuya shot down a Zygote before she straightened herself and stretched her shoulders. “Soma looks like he’s in a bad mood and Yuka had a dose of... epinephrine. But honestly, it still gets you surprised?” Shun frowned slightly, while Gina, in contrast, smirked a tad bit. Karel decided not to give any reaction as they resumed clearing the remaining smaller Aragamis. There were a few medium-sized enemies scattered around, but the God Eaters had already outnumbered them as they spread out.

Soma’s scowl grew as he felt weight pressing down on him from the side. “Draining your stamina after that kind of exploit, what a dolt.”

“Shut up,” she hissed. “Even you would get all petered out. Just... let me breathe for a second... or two.”

“They’re going to do the rest of the clean-up.”

The Director felicitated them for a job well done. Although the Outer Ghetto suffered damage, the people worked immediately to repair the damaged area of the armored wall, and rebuild the destroyed residential houses. Kota didn’t bother reporting to Major Amamiya, as he had rushed over to his family, despite being far from the area of the attack.

Now that it was all over, Yuka could feel fatigue controlling her slowly, as she almost crawled her way to her bed. Her body ached all over. The effects of the injection were beginning to wear out. But as soon as she heard the sound of her door opening, the blonde forced herself to at least rise from lying position, only to find Sakuya standing there, her arms crossed. “That was breathtaking,” the Vice Captain smiled. “Major Amamiya was impressed. I’d tell you, it is hard to get her impressed.”

“Yeah,” the younger groaned out. “I heard the last thing that did was the whole reckless Bias incident Lenka did.”

“That’s right.”

“So, are they going to inject adrenaline on God Eaters before battle now too?”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “I’m a Medic Corporal, Yuka. I’m not as good as Dr. Sakaki, but I do know my drugs. I am a sniper too. You would have to do a bit better tricking me. That wasn’t an epinephrine.” She saw the other avert her gaze and lower her head. “That was an ampule, wasn’t it?”

Yuka only looked up and grinned wide.


	29. Scourge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, waiting. Sunlight beamed at them right from the very top, at its utmost brightness, that he had to pull his hood further down before it blinds him completely. The Singularity had most likely left the area, off to some place overflowing with food it could feast on. What are they still doing here then? At that point, Soma decided to stand up and travel to the other side of that wall. Smaller rocks were crushed to dust under his foot as he walked. “Yuka, what are you—?”
> 
> “I hate being hopeful.”
> 
> She was crying.
> 
> Again.

Yuka’s hands were as cold as ice, a burning sensation making them ache badly. She handed the report handout to the older raven-haired female who was examining another set of papers on her desk. “Lenka had submitted a report for the Monkey Guts mission Alisa requested with him and Kota,” the blonde began. “It looks like the Borg Camlann they came across and eliminated was the very target of the Flame Shield assignment. Those three hit two birds in one stone. In addition to that, Alisa had greatly improved. She is slowly beginning to overcome her trauma. In fact, I caught her in the training room a few hours ago, and it might not be long enough until her finally resuming actual combat.” It felt like a large thorn was pulled out of her throat, the first part of her report ending successfully and well.

“On another note,” the God Eater continued, noticing her superior’s silence. “The repair and reconstruction on the damaged section of the Outer Ghetto flows smoothly and is about 90% completed. Those recently-harvested cores will be used in the strengthening of the armored wall.”

 _Goodness, this is nerve-wracking,_ she then thought to herself. _Hibari is such an exemplary person to survive this kind of pressure._

Tsubaki pulled her gaze away from the papers on her desk and turned towards her. “That’s a progress. I have reviewed the report in regards to Utsugi’s performance and it is now in the hands of the Director. Seeing how he has greatly improved over a short period of time, it is not surprising if he becomes appointed the new leader of the First Unit.”

Then, as if on cue, said male God Eater appeared, stepping into the room. When he was struck with realization though that it wasn’t exactly empty with people, he immediately said, taking a step back.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“It’s good, it’s good,” the female New-Type assured him. “I was just leaving.”

“What is this about, Utsugi?” He was asked.

He stood straight before the two females, the same confidence present in his green eyes. “About Alisa.”

* * *

Soma was surprised to have found who had gathered them together in the lobby. “Where is Major Amamiya?” He asked in a low, grumbling voice, his question ending with a small huff.

Yuka instinctively placed one hand on her hip and sighed; even Alisa by her side looked surprised. “Stop asking for people that aren’t here.” She has important matters to attend to and can’t meet you all today, though she said to return in thirty minutes tops.” As soon as she had finished her question, Sakuya and the others arrived through the elevator. The blonde told them to line up; as the Major had left them an important assignment they are to take on. “The Research Team had just returned from an encounter with our favorite... Aragami.””She raised her head to look at them one by one, to see if they all understood. Seeing their expressions stiffened, she continued, “It has escaped to the old city, and now, you are asked to eliminate it as soon as possible before it becomes a major threat. That’s... what’s written in the note she left,” the blonde then shrugged. “I don’t really have much to say so I’ll just wish you luck and send you all off.”

If Soma ever becomes the Director of the Far East, he definitely will not let her handle this kind of job. She sucks at it.

“Oh, and do you have any questions?”

Kota immediately – though aggressively seemed a better term – raised his hand. Later realizing just how forward he was, it was followed by his shoulders tensing, the words barely able to slip out of his mouth. “Uhm... I wish... I wish A-Alisa—I wish Alisa will be sent on this mission!” He was even bobbing his head up and down, hoping it would help convince the blonde God Eater into accepting his suggestion. “I mean, see, she’s been... she’s been working really hard!”

Yuka’s serious facade vanished in split second, as her cheeks puffed out and she craned her neck over to Soma who was standing at the back.“”How come you’re not this sweet to me?” But the male wasn’t really given any opportunity to answer as she had shifted her attention back to those standing closer to her. “Actually, Major Amamiya had been thinking about that too, but she said she still wants to know everyone’s opinions about it.” Her gaze fell to Sakuya. “So, what do you think? I’m okay with it, to be honest. I’ve read the Monkey Guts report. Alisa handled the fight with the Kongou and Gboro-gboro well, and even that unexpected match against a Borg Camlann.”

The Vice Captain lowered her head slightly in thought. It was then that they all fell into silence, Alisa, Kota and Lenka waiting with hopeful eyes. “I... I agree.”

“But then... there is one more thing to consider.” Yuka sighed, and turned towards Alisa. “The target for that mission... It’s the same type as... _that one_. Will you... Will you be alright?”

After a long time, she once again saw the fire burn in the Russian God Eater’s eyes. “I’ll go. Please tell Major Amamiya to let me go on this mission.”

“Very well. Just remember not to overdo it, okay?” She sighed. “I would be the one taking responsibility if something bad happens.”

Kota almost jumped in complete joy. “I’ll be with you so you’ll be fine!” He beamed, which caused everyone in the team to grin at him (except for Soma – Soma’s an antisocial prick) and so he had to add, “L-Lenka and Sakuya too!” Although the others were obviously teasing them, it was a relief to see that Alisa had smiled back at him. “Oh, hang on a sec. You’re not coming with us, Yuka? How long are they going to keep you off the field?”

“Ah, no. I actually have a few dates lined up after this,” the blonde answered. A slight frown drew itself over their Vice Captain’s face, and Yuka very well knew why. She knew Sakuya doesn’t fancy her speaking in Lindow’s language. Not like she could help it. Before any of them could make more follow-up questions, the group of four was then prodded forward out of the lobby until only she and Soma were standing there. A sigh slipped past her lips as she turned to face him, her gaze stern, “He wants us to go search for it again. It looks like he received various reports pointing out its possible location. I didn’t get to see the reports myself, but he said it would not hurt to check it out.” She heard him grumble slightly, eyebrows furrowing. “You’re not the only one doing it so stop complaining, seriously.”

He wasn’t complaining. He hadn’t even said a thing. They were out of the premises of the Far East Branch and he had not said a thing. She was the one who can’t keep her mouth shut. She was the one complaining about the Director, Old Man Sakaki and Major Amamiya making her run a shit ton of errands for them. “By the way...” Yuka began as soon as her complains had come to an end. “Have you heard about what happened to the Transportation Unit recently?” Whether he did or did not, it was hard to tell since Soma didn’t even bother looking her way; she couldn’t tell if he was interested or not. “They lost a handful of valuables – mostly food rations.”

“It’s just them thieving among themselves,” he snorted, much to Yuka’s horror.

“Not everyone in the world is as sick and twisted as your father, okay?” She crossed her arms and sighed, before moving on, “It doesn’t look like an Aragami either, because if that’s the case, nothing would have left. They believe it got snatched while they were running away from the Aragamis that ambushed them.”

Her concern didn’t really get through him. For all he knows, it could be just another group of civilians that had long been shut out by Fenrir. Finding resources is a pretty hard thing to do these days so they simply resort to stealing from the organization itself. She shouldn’t be over thinking those small matters. They’re their own units; whatever they come across, unless it is some bothersome Aragami, is their problem alone. He had been mauling over those thoughts that he didn’t know she started smoothing out a small crumpled box out of one of her pockets. “You brought that trash out again. If you’re going to start that ‘’you-miss-him’’ kind of crap, I’ll—““

“I really hope he’s alive somewhere.”

Soma stiffened. This woman really doesn’t know when to stop getting her hopes up. Even if he wants to believe the same thing, no God Eater who disappeared for more than a week had ever come back to the branch. Sad but true. “My head is full of what-ifs right now,” she added.

“If those goddamn what-ifs distract you and turn you into some baggage, I’m leaving you behind,” he growled, picking up his God Arc. “We’re here.”

“Would paying attention to what I’m saying for once really kill you?” 

* * *

More than the stolen rations and the smallest possibility of their leader being alive, Soma had his eyes on probably one of the peculiar things he had come across in this line of work. He shouldered his weapon and turned to his companion, eyebrows angrily furrowed. “Have you been here before?” He asked.

Yuka’s expression looked somewhere in between surprised and offended. “No! What the hell are you thinking?” She placed both hands on her waist and began to grumble. “Why do you always accuse me of **everything**?” Soma was equally frustrated, eyes narrowing at the lump of dead Ogretails. “Oh. B-But I didn’t do **that**!” Before she could start spouting gibberish, somehow, she managed to calm herself down with a sigh. “You think it’s _that_?”

He wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case, though why they haven’t encountered it for so long is still a mystery. Why haven’t they received any clear reports of its activity? Surely, anything as big and as powerful as the Singularity surely could easily be detected and found. “Let’s scout,” he told her. “Those Ogres don’t look like they’ve been there for days.”

“You mean the Singularity could still be around here?”

“Make sure your mind isn’t flying to places.”

“If it was, I would have hitched a ride and get out of this place,” she scowled, only to receive an equal scowl as a response.

Apart from Aragami remains they found littering the grounds, there weren't any other unusual sight worth taking note of. The place was nothing but unoccupied ruins. There weren't any resources either, so it isn't surprising that no civilians would take refuge in such location. If there are, whatever Aragami that tore those smaller ones to shreds would have scared them away. “Oh, that's pretty weird,” she then said.

Soma brought his eyes to his partner, slightly lowering his God Arc. She was staring into the distance again – the only expression of hers he couldn’t clearly decipher. He, on the other hand, saw nothing in particular at the horizon, but the collapsed remnants of once towering skyscrapers. The wind blew a gentle breeze against their skin, holding an unusual tinge of coldness with it. It was in this kind of placid moments that things turn for worst to surprise him. _Great,_ the thought then dawned to him. If it happens again, he realized, he wasn’t exactly certain of what he would have to do.

“There were some smaller Aragamis wandering by the border of this area,” the blonde finally spoke. For those beasts alone, there would have been plenty of inorganic material to feast on; it would not be a surprise for them to come across this place at some point in time. However, the next statement he heard startled him even more. “They hesitated and left.”

Soma wasn’t sure if he heard her right. “What...?”

Just then, an Ogretail sprang up from behind a messy stack of building debris. It locked eyes with both God Eaters – he was certain of that, but then it appeared to have decided to ignore them, scanning the vicinity instead. The two of them stood there, awaiting any kind of action. Unfortunately, the Aragami disappointed them, letting out a loud roar and disappearing from sight.

What was that all about? It saw them, didn’t it? How come they weren’t attacked? “See?” Yuka asked. “But hell, if an Aragami with a strength in par or greater than that of the Dyaus Pita, even I would keep my distance if I could help it.”

That was silly. Aragamis don’t think. They simply devour anything and everything at sight – as long as it has a different Bias inclination. Why would they think like that? “Old Man Sakaki would surely be steamed up to hear that an Aragami’s behavior could change without human manipulation.”

“It is interesting indeed.” It was the exact antonym of whatever force was driving Aragamis to the Far East, though this one was of a smaller scale. “But then...”

“If most of its food had been avoiding the predator itself,” Soma continued with a sigh, which was rare, seeing that he always had this tensed expression drawn all over his face. It was always either an aggravated sigh or nothing at all. “... that bastard would have no choice but find some other places where there is food.” During the duration of his speech, Yuka had started taking inspecting what remained of the area, making sure not even a corner or a single space will be left unnoticed. Another breeze blew, a bit stronger than the first, nearly strong enough to blow down the hood he wore over his head. It was then that she disappeared behind a sturdy wall, completely out of his sight.

He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, waiting. Sunlight beamed at them right from the very top, at its utmost brightness, that he had to pull his hood further down before it blinds him completely. The Singularity had most likely left the area, off to some place overflowing with food it could feast on. What are they still doing here then? At that point, Soma decided to stand up and travel to the other side of that wall. Smaller rocks were crushed to dust under his foot as he walked. “Yuka, what are you—?”

“I hate being hopeful.”

She was crying.

Again.

Doesn’t she ever run out of tears, what the fuck? Because, somehow, there just appears some sick, constricting feeling in his gut whenever he sees her crying. He doesn’t even fucking want it to come up. If he could slash it off like he does to Aragamis, he would have, but he couldn’t. He would have to resort to what he had done when they were kids – comforting her, or at least trying to, that is. Soma had seen other people cry – heck, he grew fucking tired of it. He grew so tired of it that it had been so easy for him to pretend that it really didn’t affect him, as easy as shutting every single person out of his world.

Then she just had to come around and show him that crying face. “If you don’t stop, soon you’ll be crying blood.” Soma didn’t know why he stepped forward – part of him says it was to pull her up so they could get moving; the other tells him it was because he wanted to do nothing more than hug her. At times like this, whether he wishes to believe it or not, his sight and attention narrows solely at her for whatever reasons. Still, he was thankful he did take that step forward. If he hadn’t, nothing else would have remained in his sight but her. He was too fixed in that feeling he hated boiling from somewhere in him and those tears streaming like river down her cheeks that he lost sight of the very place he stood on.

Soma stepped on a tin can that nearly went flat under his weight. The sound of it dragged him to the reality of a far vaster world, as his eyes finally registered the signs of survival scattered around his feet. Emptied food cans and some crumpled water bottles, alongside a few cigarette butts that were carelessly discarded away. Yuka leaned on that wall, dried blood staining the wall where her right shoulder was rested on. She was holding that cigarette box again.

“Someone... had been alive here,” she finally said in between her sobs, her voice failing her so bad that it cracked. If there was a way to crush that stupid hopeful side of her, he would have done that, because he clearly knew who she thinks that someone was.

It’s fucking Lindow again.

He could only click his tongue and pull out his phone. “This is Soma. We found no clear sign of the target. We’ll be returning to the Den soon.”

People said Yuka dealing with him was natural talent. Looks like they didn’t know him dealing with her was a complete and natural pain in the ass.

“Look.” Soma drained every bit of emotion from his face and voice. “Even if he—someone had been here, they wouldn’t survive. Not even the greatest of all great God Eaters would be able to last long with this little amount of rations, most especially un-fucking-armed. Don’t forget that this had been the Singularity’s lair – an Aragami we believe far stronger than that bloody Pita, which Utsugi and Alisa barely survived. Why the fuck do you keep refusing all the facts when they’re all over you? **He’s dead.** Get over it, dammit. Even the top gave up on the search. Crying over something that’s done wouldn’t do any of us a single good shit.”

Fuck. Did he just...

She silently rose with shaking knees, kicking away some of the tin cans and bottles that were in her way. A single exhale slipped past her lips as she marched forward. “You’re right. So if I just go disappearing one day, don’t bother looking for me. Just assume I’m fucking dead. Clear?”

“What the fuck are you talking—?”

“ **Clear?!** ”

He fell silent.

Yuka scowled, her hands balled into fists. “Oh come on. It was bloody easy for you to believe that the man you’d worked with for six fucking years was dead without solid evidence. I wouldn’t make any difference, would I? I mean, you got to admit, a part of you believed I was dead.”  
  
Where is this all coming from?

“Would it be different if it was Sakuya, or Kota? Alisa? Lenka? We’re all the same—people you didn’t need and you could just brush off.”

Where _the fuck_ is this all coming from?

“So what makes it extremely difficult to say it’s clear that when I just fucking vanish, assume I died or something then _get over it, dammit_?!”

Did she really just... throw his own words back at him? What the hell, Soma? Just say ‘clear’ and finish this shit. She’s asking for it!

That’s right.

 **She** was the one who asked for it.

“Soma!”

“Then fucking die—all of you—for all I care!”


	30. Welcome, Leader!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To brush of the deadly glares being sent to his direction, Kota turned to the person on his other side, which happened to be Alisa twirling a few strands of silver hair on an index finger. “They called this meeting all of a sudden so I came. I didn’t even get to finish the newest episode! What’s going on?”
> 
> Alisa’s snarky attitude was up like a switch had just been flicked. That’s right, Yuka thought, eyeing the pair. Be a savage and rip him for me, Alisa! The Russian’s eyes studied the fellow God Eater with the prideful stare she was known for. “I really don’t know.” Oh, that sounded pretty kind. “And even if I did know, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.” From his side, the blonde snickered. “Sakuya.” Her voice turned softer as she faced their Vice Captain, her expression warming up visibly. “Do you know anything about this?”
> 
> “I haven’t heard about this,” the other answered, a frown adorning her face. “Still, it’s pretty unusual for all of us to be summoned.” She stared blankly at space for a second, without saying a word, until a thought dawns to her, and she moved her gaze to the female God Eater sandwiched between two males younger than her. “Yuka?”

God, it wasn't even supposed to end like that.

They never talked since that argument, and Yuka's guilt was rapidly eating her away, like Oracle Cells on literally everything.

She was out of herself and her mind was in so much disarray that the first thing she did upon seeing the rest of her team was run up to Lenka and hug him. Why? Heck, he was the one with the most bruises. That's fucking why. She could have hugged Alisa or Sakuya instead and not send a wrong message but, come on, she just had to throw her arms around their soon-to-be Leader, who was as dazed and confused as everybody else was. Her thoughts were everywhere and her chest was swelling up so fucking badly—thinking properly was the least of her concern. “Oh my god, I'm so fucked up.” She never even heard her herself use the word ‘ _fuck’ that_ many times outside of a battle.

Sure, she _could_ be clingy and all that shit but, “Damn, Yuka, you just had to mess up so badly.” She was mad, in guilt, sorry, confused, lost and embarrassed at the same time, she didn't even imagine it was possible for a human being to be overloading with different kinds of emotions all at once. Every bit of her system must have given up and decided to betray her at this very moment through a complete and total shut down.

On top of that, she thinks she was over reacting.

It had been quite long since the last time she mauled over her own thoughts—alone, drenching in the silence of her own personal space, completely enclosed in a place she felt safe, comfortable and secured. Yuka pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face on them, lips chanting _fuck, fuck, fuck_ over and over again as if it was some mantra that would save her from this torture. It wasn't. In fact, it only made her feel worse, so worse that she felt her very own existence was being corroded away to oblivion. Just as when she thought her head was clear for a moment, her brain, her system, her **everything** would just go “ _Oh, you think it's over? Have another wave, bitch!”_ and the whole ordeal would flash in her head again like it just happened a while ago though it happened yesterday.

It wasn't all that—fucking hell, it wasn't just that.

As she embraced the silence wrapping around her like a blanket, more and more thoughts ran through her head. And none of them were happy thoughts.

The one thought that stood out more than the others, were words from C—why, _of course_ , leave it to that bastard when it comes to mentally and emotionally destroying people. _“I'd tell you a secret free of charge, Flower. It surprised me a bit—just a little bit—when he just accepted that that man is dead even without an actual body. Lindow is one tenacious man, you know. And well, there are just times humans could be so surprising.”_

_“He did say to save some beer for him, right?”_

_Fuck you, C. Just. Fuck you. Fuck your very existence to the brim._ Yuka heard herself growling out against her own skin. She wanted to believe that Lindow is gone forever too, but that pale girl just had to grin and tell her that. C never tells lies; she might omit some information for her amusement, but Yuka trusts— **knows and believes** —that all her words are true. No questions asked.

“Oh my God,” she groaned out once more, just as the sound of her door opening registered to her ears. However, her blue eyes didn't bother making attempts in trying to figure out who it was. Yuka relied solely on hearing, waiting for whoever it is to speak.

If it is Soma coming to apologize, assuming there is a tiny part of him who would want to do that, _fuck him_. What is he, playing some bloody game where he does his damage and just leave? And says sorry when he feels like it, expecting her to actually fucking forgive him that easily? Well **_fuck him._** Yuka could clearly hear that low growl on her throat as the thoughts raced across her mind. Then again, she knew Soma wouldn't apologize or think of doing so, even if his life depended on it. Well, Yuka wouldn't either. She would not feed his goddamn pride by being the first to say sorry.

Thankfully, it was Sakuya, breathing out a deep sigh. “Do I have to ask if you're okay?” She heard her take four steps, probably towards the end of her bed.

“You could,” the blonde answered though kept her face buried to her knees. “But I'd probably say I'm okay and have you replied that I don't look like it.” She peeked at her from under her arms folded over her knees. “So, I'd say it is better if you don't ask at all.” It took her a while to notice the paper bag present on the Vice Captain's hands.

Sakuya caught her gaze. “They thought this would at least cheer you up. They wanted to hand it over personally but Dr. Sakaki's lessons came up.”

The younger female returned to sinking her face against her own skin. “Just... put them there. Yeah."

“Can you stand up?”

“Of course. Think straight? Not quite sure.”

“What's three times three?”

“Six, obviously.”

Sakuya frowned. Yuka felt the foam of her bed sinking slightly on one end, meaning the older female had decided to take a few more steps closer and settle just across her on the furniture. Her eyebrows met in a worried curve, and her chocolate brown eyes were warm and full of concern, like that of a mother—a reason why she didn’t want to make any kind of contact. Yuka feared she would break completely and cry again—return to that helpless little child that grew up in this screwed up world without a mother figure. She silently wished Sakuya would go away and leave her alone; she doesn’t want to see any more of the worried expression she wears. Finally, the raven-haired Old-Type spoke, “You and Soma fought?”

A meek nod came as a response, which she followed with a small chuckle. “But we always do, right? We fight every day, because he’s such a huge asshole. This is just stress. I’ll make sure to return later for duty.” _Fuck_. She wished her own eyes weren’t teary. Sakuya opened her mouth to say something, but was immediately cut off, “It’s only been a day, Sakuya. Come back and tell me I need a mandatory leave when it’s been three or four days.”

The worry and concern in her eyes were momentarily replaced by surprise, before her expression softened and she pulled out a long, deep sigh as she gently placed the paper bag on the end of the bed. “It’s okay if you don’t report later. I’ll tell Tsubaki that you don’t feel well.” She was in front of the door when the other female called out to her, prompting her to halt in her steps and turn.

“What did you do when Lindow got _really_ mad?” She asked. “If he ever did, that is.”

The Vice Captain couldn’t quite remember the last time said man lost control over his own temper. Over the past years, most especially after being assigned in-charge of the First Unit, Lindow always keeps his cool—playful and teasing, but patient, understanding and cool. In terms of personality, he would be standing on the opposite end of the line as Soma, so Sakuya couldn’t quite figure out why Yuka would ask such a question. _Ah, no,_ she mused, smiling to herself. It took her a while to look back at the waiting female, and she answered, “Just let Soma cool his head for a bit.”

At the mention of the name, Yuka pulled her lips to a scowl. “I’d chuck his head on a tub of iced water if need be. Drown him, even.”

* * *

If it is Major Tsubaki Amamiya that wants her ass up and active in the lounge in 300 seconds, even if Yuka feels as shitty as shittiest could be, then she would have to drag her sorry ass across the hallway, punch the buttons on the section elevator, and present that same ass to said woman _before_ 300 seconds had passed. The elevator chewed her out, and she saw Kota’s lips stretch to a wide grin, Alisa smiling politely with a nod, Lenka a bit surprised at the redhead teen suddenly slapping his shoulder with a “Told you she’d come!”, and Sakuya wearing that kind smile on her face.

She let her eyes indulge in the warmth of the Den and— _fuck, it’s too bright—_ squint slightly at the sudden change of lighting from the dim light of her room to this sudden sunshine pouring from literally everywhere to her eyes.

Though the moment she caught sight of the blue hood, even only from her peripheral vision, Yuka’s stomach did a full three hundred and sixty degree-turn, her smile twisting to a scowl as she stomped her feet and turned, now facing the elevator again and waiting for it to _bloody open already._ She would have marched back to her room with that sour expression, if Kota had not leaped in an instant and caught her before she could take her first step. She and Kota fought in equal vigor, until the latter screamed “Lenka, help!” and all could Yuka do was glare at the two traitors dragging her through the shoulders. Her glares kept both of them squirming, but they kept their hands on, not willing to let go.

To brush of the deadly glares being sent to his direction, Kota turned to the person on his other side, which happened to be Alisa twirling a few strands of silver hair on an index finger. “They called this meeting all of a sudden so I came. I didn’t even get to finish the newest episode! What’s going on?”

Alisa’s snarky attitude was up like a switch had just been flicked. _That’s right,_ Yuka thought, eyeing the pair. _Be a savage and rip him for me, Alisa!_ The Russian’s eyes studied the fellow God Eater with the prideful stare she was known for. “I really don’t know.” _Oh, that sounded pretty kind._ “And even if I did know, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.” From his side, the blonde snickered. “Sakuya.” Her voice turned softer as she faced their Vice Captain, her expression warming up visibly. “Do you know anything about this?”

“I haven’t heard about this,” the other answered, a frown adorning her face. “Still, it’s pretty unusual for all of us to be summoned.” She stared blankly at space for a second, without saying a word, until a thought dawns to her, and she moved her gaze to the female God Eater sandwiched between two males younger than her. “Yuka?”

Still scowling and glaring endlessly at the two teens, the blonde rose at the call of her name, and kicked the back of Lenka’s knee with a foot. Of course it caused the raven-haired male’s knees to go forward—the panic that surged in the faces of literally everyone nearly made her die of laughter—almost ridding him of his balance if he had not caught himself before a few seconds of complete shame. Kota paled and almost fainted—it was downright hilarious. Soma—well, _fuck Soma_ , she doesn’t even want to stand in the same space as him, and so she _totally_ doesn’t care if he cracks a smile or whatever.

“Stand straight, Utsugi Lenka!” She then yelled, much to the male’s confusion.

If Alisa’s snarky side is turned on and off like a switch, Yuka has a board-wide of switches of emotions and someone is definitely and playfully flicking them on and off in random. Her blue eyes narrowed down and met bewildered verdant eyes, as she crossed her arms. “I vouched for you so don’t you dare disappoint me.” Silence rained on them as she paused, her face suddenly resembling a thin and fragile glass ready to shatter any moment before it was masked by a somewhat annoyed expression that was obviously faked. “—or our good man, Lindow.”

Sakuya wanted to speak, but her voice got stuck somewhere in her throat. In fact, everyone was the same, standing there in silence and surprise as the blonde marched back in between Kota and Lenka, Major Amamiya arriving from the main elevator and walking towards them. “I see you are all here.” She eyed the members one by one. Kota could feel a jolt shooting up his spine upon meeting his superior’s gaze. Lenka’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed. “Administration announced a new appointment today.” Sakuya and Alisa were quick to pick up and they gasped. Poor Kota was too slow that he had to ask ‘what, what’ like a boy lost in daze. “Not so fast,” the oldest female immediately said upon noticing their expressions. “Once your new mission has been cleared,” she cocked her head over to the male New-Type’s direction, who straightened his back in an instant that he looked like he was trying his best to hold in his pee. “—you will be appointed captain of the First Unit, Preservation Bureau, Fenrir Far East Branch.”

Yuka breathed out, like one sharp stake had just been pulled out of her chest. “About damn time.”

“From now on,” Tsubaki continued, “you are the leader of this unit. I’m counting on you.”

Kota’s loud attitude surfaced (did it ever subside though) and he beamed, causing all eyes to fall on him, “Wow! You got promoted! And it’s a big promotion!” Apparently, he was far more excited than Lenka himself was that he couldn’t keep his mouth shut any further. “What do they call this kind of thing? Supplanting one’s superior?”

Alisa—good girl Alisa—just had to shoot him down. “Actually, that’s a kind of betrayal!”

 _Betrayal,_ the word hummed right inside the blonde’s already-exploding head.

The Russian gave another polite nod towards her fellow New-Type. “Once again, I look forward to working with you. Isn’t that right, Sakuya?” Said female was silent, eyes fixated on the floor, that Alisa found it necessary to repeat, “Sakuya?”

“Huh? Oh, yes... right.” Afterwards, she shifted her attention towards the silent teen. “Leader, huh? Somehow, you seem a lot more dependable now! Well then, I know you’ll have my back. I’m looking forward to working with you!”

Yuka was trying her best to act as normal as she could. “Lindow knows his choices,” she smiled. “I think he left the team to a good kid.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” the Major told them before they all could throw in a party or buffet for their new leader. “You will not be officially appointed until after you’ve completed this mission. It’s true that a leader is bestowed certain powers befitting the position, but the responsibilities he must shoulder are of equal weight. Not just in his capacity as a Gods Eater...”

Yuka had heard those words in the past, and it did nothing but bring that heavy feeling up to her chest. “He’s also charged with making sure his team members return safely,” she finished with a wistful and bitter smile, much to everyone's surprise. That is where she failed as a leader; that is why she can't take the position regardless of how fitting it is for her; that is why she had to tell them to give it to someone far more deserving and far more capable of protecting this team the way Lindow did.

“Don’t die. You must all come back here alive. That’s an order.” Everyone lowered their heads, their faces engulfed in sorrow at those familiar words, remembering the man who ironically engraved those commands deep into their souls. “Now then, stop daydreaming!”

Lenka received the mission details provided by their superior— _Storm Baptism._ Green eyes went through every letter, every word written down, Lenka himself immersing in what possible ways they could tackle this assignment easily. The rest of the team began to settle on the couch, warming up for the mission, until Yuka, who remained standing, walked up to Major Amamiya before she could take her leave.

“I’m not going. I’m sorry.”

Her words were met with the older female’s scrutinizing gaze, and the surprised faces of the rest of the team. “What part of ‘team assignment’ do you not understand?” The raven-haired asked, Soma snorting from the far side of the floor not slipping past her attention. Even the way how the blonde’s face before her twisted to indescribable expressions of disdain did not escape her gaze. Tsubaki pursed her lips to a frown, before turning back to the smaller female. “Keep your personal arguments from affecting your professional life. That is all.”

“I’m still not going,” Yuka insisted, but the older woman pretended not to hear, disappearing behind the bars of the elevator. “Damn it. She _never_ reconsiders.”

Sakuya sighed. “That's Tsubaki for you.”

Lenka did not seem to pay attention to the blonde's declaration too. “It says there would be two Sariels and a few Zygotes.”

“The Zygotes would be an easy target even through guns,” Kota butted in, for the sake of shaking of angry and piercing glares that seem to poke holes through his already paling skin. “But we don't know what else we might run into. Dr. Sakaki had said Aragamis could become quite unpredictable.”

Alisa, Lenka and Sakuya nodded in agreement. At least, the boy is doing his homework, not wanting to be left behind by the rest of the team. “We could divide into three groups and clear out those smaller Aragamis before the Sariels could run into us.” He eyed each and every member of his team, noticing how Sakuya tried to cock her head towards Soma and then to Yuka without being suspicious; Kota had her index fingers up to form a cross, face practically begging not to be paired with either of the two, and; Alisa, well, Alisa looked fine and supportive with whichever way his plan goes. The new leader gathered up his courage and continued, “The first would be Soma-san and Yuka-san—”

“I'll think about it—NO,” the blonde hissed, bearing an aura that clearly said she would not accept further arguments. Her voice was dangerous and menacing, sending chills rivaling that of their Instructor.

Their Russian New-Type was brave enough to reason out (and partially because she knew this certain God Eater has a soft spot for her), “But Utsugi needs our cooperation, _sestra_.” The Russian word rolled off her tongue in an attempt to woo the other to calming down. “There's no telling if his leader appointment might get revoked if this mission doesn't come down smoothly.”

Unfortunately, she failed. “It won’t, trust me, and I'm still not going.” They never knew she had this kind of stubborn side to her, as she usually had been the one helping them out even if they don't really voice out the need for it.

From one corner of the floor, a gruff voice snorted, “What a piss.”

It started the most intense glaring competition they had ever seen, featuring one blonde God Eater nearly lifting their coffee table off its screws, and the biggest commotion—cough, lover's quarrel, cough—they had ever witnessed.


	31. Storm Baptism

It was probably the greatest fight of the century.

After a long series of yelling, Yuka hurling onto whatever projectile her hand could grab, and Soma verbally fighting back, their argument softened—if that even is the fitting word—to profound glares. Blue eyes stared at the female, or to be more exact, glowered down at her. “Do what you want,” Soma muttered before turning away. The team watched helplessly as the hooded male God Eater grabbed his weapon waiting in its case.

Yuka's eyes flashed as she looked once again the Instructor (who they called to quell the fighting but only pointed out how childish they both are and did nothing more), meeting her stern gaze and forcing her to turn to the back of the leaving partner. “I WILL! I definitely will!” The girl stomped her feet angrily, gesturing to the rest of the First Unit who were surprised to know that she realized they were still there. “Come on, we’re going to trounce his ass!”

“What’s gotten into her?” Kota whispered to his team mates, but no one dared to respond as the named person turned sharply on the stop and glared at the gunner. “S-sorry!” He blurted in panic and paled considerably, expecting the worst. He could feel his recent meal traveling back up in his throat as he tried his utter best not to throw up out of fear.

“Two Sariels, two teams. We’re going to wipe the confident smirk from that jerk’s face!” She explained to the somewhat shivering boy and swept her gaze over the rest of the team gaining their focus. “It’s his loss for going alone, we’ll finish even before he has time to release a Charge Crush.” The only thing they were thankful for was that she still kept her team spirit riled up.

From nearby the lounging area, the only person who should have avoided the fuming New-Type, C, appeared from the flight of stairs and skipped her way to the team. “Aren’t you childish here, Flower?” In less than two seconds, she was swept off her feet as the blond grabbed her by the neck and slammed to the nearest wall, not unlike how a certain ‘God of Death’ does so from time to time.

“Yes, something the matter?” Seething and clenching her teeth, it took most of her effort to stay calm and not wrench the neck of the pale information broker. “That’s rich coming from you.” Even more effort was mustered as the hooded female was put on the ground, but the grip on her throat was still coming strong. “What do you want? I’m broke anyways almost.”

“Don’t you want to show Moonboy up?” An evil smirk stretched on the girl’s lips as she reached up and pulled the taller blonde down, leaning near to her ear and whispering into it. At this kind of situation, C’s little games are the most effective, and enduring the other female’s rage is nothing in comparison to the joy she would be indulging herself later. “Why don’t _you_ show him who is boss? You have the advantage here, don’t you?”

For a few moments, the girl closed her eyes and contemplated what was being said here. She knew very well the advantage C speaks of, and just how easy she could make this pale girl’s ideas into a reality. “You want me to go out, in my _condition_ and take on the Sariel alone?” Yuka finally said, eyes radiating a murderous intent. “Is that, right, Devil?”

“And to take the one from Soma too!” Reaching with her hand up and grabbing onto the shoulder of the New-Type, C continued, “That’s going to show him where he stands, no?”

Kota stepped forward, regardless of how scared and nervous he is right now, and pried the pale girl from Yuka, before addressing said female. “Don’t let her goad you into this madness,” He pleaded and turned towards the rest of the unit, awaiting some help. “This is dangerous. Besides, why would you even consider it if we are here to help?”

“ _You_.” The blonde New-Type jabbed a finger in the chest of the young gunner—raising his level of fear—and afterwards, turned to the raven-haired New-Type with a glare. “And _you_...” Voice venomous and filled with anger. “It would be best for you to try and team up with that stuck-up jerk; he might not accidentally kill you on the mission.” Her eyes grew even more dangerous, peeking at the two through half-closed lids. “ _I,_ on the other hand...” She allowed her words to drift off with a devious smirk, only heightening the suspense.

Both boys were shocked as they first stared at Yuka, then at each other. “Did she just threaten us?” Kota whispered and got a similarly hushed answer from Lenka, “I think she just did.”

“Come on girls, you can come with me, but I'm still doing this alone!” With that the self-appointed leader stepped through the gate to take her weapon.

“Co~ming!” C gave a delighted squeal and followed her, much to everyone’s surprise. “We will need a commentator after all!” Those present went pale and started to expect the worst possible mission that they have yet to take on. After all, an excited C, an enraged Yuka, and equally enraged Soma aren’t the perfect ingredients for a very important assignment.

* * *

“Hey, Moonboy!” C grinned, ear to ear and rather maliciously as she spoke and her voice was carried over the small comm unit attached to her mask to the fuming ‘God of Death and Destruction’. “It’s a date!”

“What the hell do you want know, you pissant bastard?!” Soma practically roared in response and the pale girl smirked even more only to that. “I have no time for your retarded games.”

She whistled, looking as nearby her a—an abnormally strong Charge Crush slammed into the Sariel their team rounded up. “You’ve yet to find your target, eh?” C chirped gleefully, especially after she witnessed the dumbfounded gaze of the rest of the team. Sakuya, Alisa, Kota and Lenka stared almost jack-slawed as with a single strike the flying beast was torn from the skies. The latter two had to join up with them since Soma was already gone by the time they wanted to leave. “Yuka is already tearing through her Sariel as we speak.” A painful screech of hate echoed, originating from the flying Aragami. “At this rate, you’ll owe me that 2 million credits we bet on.”

“YOU WHAT?!” He roared into the comm link, pulling C’s lips to an even wider grin. “Where are the others?!” Soma demanded and it was clear he broke into a sprint, judging from the sounds being transmitted. “What the hell is the rest of the unit doing?”

“Cowering in fear from the awesome skills your target of concern is displaying.” C had to snort, holding back her laughter as the God Eater on the other side of the line practically choked on the air he swallowed. “She’s... frightening when properly... let’s say, _fired up_.”

He was far from believing it. Just yesterday, he was discussing to himself what he might end up doing if she suddenly gets _stirred._ He was yet to figure out the answer to that, and C—that bloody bastard—just had to rile her up.

“YUKA!” Once more Soma roared, this time aimed at the female, but she simply ignored him. “YUKA! What the hell do _you_ think you are doing?!” He bellowed, but no response at all. Only another absurdly powerful Charge Crush aimed at the head of the downed Sariel. “I’m going to kill you C, this was your idea. WASN’T IT?!”

“O~H!” The pale girl’s response was to gloat simply. “For real?” She giggled, nodding a few times and soaked in the disbelief of the team seeing the blonde New-Type at work, at what she did the best. “It **_is_**! Oh~ my~ gosh~ I can't believe it!”

“ ** _Babe_** ,” suddenly Yuka said, standing above the mutilated corpse of the Sariel priming her God Arc and summoning the predator within it. “That’s two million credits you owe me.” With a swift motion, in a few seconds, the blue core was ripped from the body and swallowed by the weapon. “One down, one to go. Come on guys, Soma’s still has to find that other Sariel and I know just where to go.”

Pondering for a while, C spoke up, “What did you mean by ‘two million credits he owes you’? Did you two bet also?” When the massive weapon of Yuka was swung in her direction, the pale girl had to take a step back so as to not get hit by the destructive and potentially deadly attack. “H-hey! Careful there!”

Yuka smiled dangerously, devious and menacing. “You bet with him behind my back, didn’t you?” She walked closer and leaned down to the hooded pale female, glaring at her. “I’m just taking that, deal?” When C tried to refuse, her neck was met with the blade of the God Arc. “ _Deal_?” She repeated, innocently smiling, but with eyes filled with death and destruction.

“D-deal!” C managed to suppress her shock—it wasn't a normal occurrence to have her scared of anything. “Fine, damn it—Have it your way, Flower.” She crossed her arms defiantly, before Yuka grabbed her neck. “W-what now?!” Usually, it was her who makes people dance on the palm of her hands, but today—just today—was different.

The blonde’s blue eyes glinted with a murderous intent. “You know exactly where that Sariel is, don’t you?” Her lips pursed to a slight smirk. “I am giving you five seconds to answer. One, two, thr—”

“F-fine! Damn it, you’re scaring the unit.” C pointed towards her back. “Just what did that idiot do to get you this mad?” She then asked, but almost froze when the murderous aura that surrounded the blonde almost tripled. “N-never mind. I don't want to know, okay?!” She laughed sheepishly. “A-after me!” She wringed herself free and sprinted off towards a definite direction.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Still wearing that innocent smile, Yuka turned to the rest of the team and darted right after the running pale female, catching up to her in almost no time and then practically dragging her along forcefully on the ground.

“I-ah... think we should get the jeep,” Kota suggested and the rest nodded silently, breathlessly.

* * *

 

“H-hey,” C, greeted Soma weakly. “I know we haven’t been getting along lately, but... mind helping me down?”

The God Eater surveyed the scene, eyes drawn close as she looked at the carnage that had been wrought. “What the fuck happened here?!” Soma demanded, turning to the pale girl who was pinned to the wall of a crumbling building by a number of Ogretail spikes. Even if she wanted to she couldn't, the pale girl was unable to muster enough strength to rip herself from the needles. Huh, of course it’s not because they were her only clothes—not like she minds prancing around, caring if she gets seen or not.

“Yuka happened,” she shuddered, tugging at her clothes and trying to squirm free to no avail, yet again. “She freaking dragged me for **miles** on the ground, sprinting off the average speed of the jeep that you guys are issued with, then as you can see.” Waving her eyes over the havoc and the dissolving bodies. “She planned to, err... vent some stream before you and the Sariel gets here.” A pout formed on her lips and a sigh slipped past. “And you’re late.”

“W-what?!” Just then, an ear piercing scream echoed in the distance and Soma’s head snapped in the direction, darting immediately towards the source, disregarding the pleas of the pinned annoyance. “Y-Yuka!” His voice stumbled a bit as he saw the proud form of the girl, standing in front of her brutally dismembered Aragami. He was supposed to be mad, yelling at her for this kind of behavior, and pulling off a childish argument in front of their Instructor.

He was barely stepping into the scene, when she decided to leave the Aragami to decompose. “You’re late.” Her head turned weakly, voice dripping with venom. “Some prince charming in shining armor you are.” She stood woozily on her two feet, making attempts—and failing—in keeping herself upright. There were numerous scratch marks and tears on her clothes, her skin decorated with gashes and bruises and open wounds and even more scratches. “But still, you owe me four million credits now, right?” Beaming an innocent smile towards him, she walked towards the rest of the team, barely managing not to fall as she swayed left and right like a drunkard heavy on alcohol. Soma made a mental note to thank her Knightfall later for helping her keep her balance.

“What the hell are you waiting for?!” He boomed at the rest of the unit, as they stood there not daring to go any closer, especially after they witnessed the inhuman abilities that the blonde New-Type displayed, even for a human, even for a God Eater. “I’m going to set the Major on your ass for this, you imbecile,” he then scolded.

Yuka grinned—the grin that says she knows he can’t give her a five-hour long lecture. “Love you too, hon.” She lifted a hand in an attempt to playfully pat his cheek, but miserably failed, ending up with her fingers brushing lightly against the lips of the male, before she slumped into his arms. Why the _fuck_ did that send chills running up his spine and why the _fuck_ did the hairs at the back of his neck rose and _why the fuck_ did it feel like his legs betrayed him for that mere second? “Carry me home, okay?” Finally, her consciousness faded as her fatigue caught up.

Not waiting for a moment, the male scooped her up. “I’m keeping my eyes on you so don’t you think of copping a feel on that ass!” C yelled, much to his frustration.

“Fuck off,” he barked at the pale girl and glowered at the rest.

“What the hell are you still standing there? Get a move on!” He was also strained, but decided to step it up and carry the knocked out idiot in his arms to the jeep where he left it. “Return to base!”

Kota was speechless, seeing the whole scene and even having witnessed the carnage that the female was capable of. “Did... they make up then?”

Sakuya, who was conversing with Alisa for the past few minutes, looked somewhat relieved as the blonde God Eater might have been reckless and acting in a self-endangering way, she still managed to stay alive. “That’s up to them to figure out, but it is time for us to get a move on. We need to return and give Major Amamiya a satisfactory report.”

Lenka furrowed his bushy brows. “Even if we didn’t do anything practically?” He surveyed the mess and shuddered, making a mental note on never get on the wrong side of Yuka. “But, I guess it makes sense.” The raven-haired male joined the returning team and pondered on the events that went on in this mission.

Would it be alright to submit a fake and made up report to their Instructor, and to the Director?

He grunted to himself. What a time to be a leader.

But hey, the important thing is that they accomplished the assignment. He could rack his brain later on how to get over this report, without the older New-Type being sent to Dr. Sakaki for a mental and psychological check-up.

“Hello?!” C's voice rang out, still pinned down to the wall and she observed both parties leaving. “H-hey! You can’t just leave me like this here!” She tried to free herself once more but to no avail. “D-DAMN IT ALL!” A laugh—weak, pained and short—registered to her ears and C immediately huffed, would definitely cross her arms together if she could. “Don’t you laugh. Tell her to help me get down from here and just stop staring at me. Flower is such a nuisance at times.”

“... Flower...?”

* * *

 

He was far from bone-tired and beat down, but Soma felt like he couldn’t handle any more missions for the rest of the day. Internally, he was cursing that bloody teal-haired bastard under his breath. She definitely deserved being left behind while crucified with Ogretail spikes. His lips stretched to a small smirk at that thought, causing everyone at the back of the jeep, namely Kota and Alisa, to turn to him with a bit of surprise hinted at their eyes. Though the two quickly pulled their gazes back and pretended to be enjoying the ride home. “You fell for her tricks again,” he whispered to the motionless girl he had propped on the far back of the jeep, leaning on his shoulder. “You’re the silly ass who has anger management issues.”

A low grunt emanated from the blonde’s lips and Soma nearly jumped up, thinking she would stir and begin another rampage. That didn’t happen though, thankfully, and they all stared at Yuka who is either dead or comatose, because she didn’t stir even after the jeep went bumpy and sent everyone off their asses.

“She had been pushing herself far past her limits. I’m not surprised,” Sakuya sighed amidst the silence. “Yuka’s stressed beyond what she could take, physically, mentally and, after that hissy fit you both threw at each other, emotionally too.”

Great, so _he_ is the bad guy now. The white-haired lad snorted in response to the Vice Captain’s words. So, if she tries to murder herself of her own volition, he would still be taking the blame? What a pain.

Had he ever mentioned she was heavier than she looked? It wasn’t helping that everyone else let him do the work all alone ‘as a way to make it up to her’. That was the story of behind him carrying the sleeping blonde on his arms (he originally wanted to carry her over his shoulder but Sakuya objected and yes, this woman’s _fucking_ heavy) to the sick bay. “Tsubaki said she wanted to meet us all so come joins us as soon as possible,” the older female added, which he replied to with another snort.

In the end, much to everyone’s relief, Tsubaki accepted the rollercoaster of events that happened as they were written in the report, though Utsugi Lenka did get a handful of scolding. “He’s just starting,” defended Sakuya with a wistful smile. “Even Lindow had a hard time controlling Soma back then. And now, well, there are two of them.”

“Don’t lump me with that sorry excuse of a God Eater,” he barked.

“Sorry excuse?” Tsubaki’s voice dropped low as she repeated those two words, causing Soma to simply avert his gaze with a ‘tch.’

Kota pressed a palm over his own mouth to suppress his laughter. “She totally kicked your ass and soloed those two Sariels.” Alisa snickered as well, while Lenka only smiled.

“And she did the same to all of you, too,” the Instructor glared at the three of them, causing the younger God Eaters to shrink down at the spot where they stood. “Nevertheless, the mission was accomplished, though this kind of ruckus should not happen again. Come with me, Utsugi. The Director wishes to have a word with you.”


	32. Sunlight on Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I told you before,” Soma turned to Lenka, his gaze still sharp and his voice gruff, “you shouldn’t have anything to do with a monster like me.” His attention then shifted towards her, but he failed to notice how her expression had tightened. “Do you have plans on leaving or what?” Before her knuckles could turn white, Yuka strode forward.
> 
> A monster like you, huh? What does that make me then, a spawn of Satan? The devil incarnate? Yuka scoffed in silence, allowing those words to remain unspoken, carried by the wind and never to be brought up again.

Yuka slept like a rock.

In fact, she felt like she’d been sleeping for two—probably three—days straight. The good thing about it was that she felt completely energized, as if ripping through the body of a huge Aragami like an Ouroborous would be but a simple task. The downside—her sight had a hard time adjusting to the sudden burst of light that she had to blink a lot of times and stare blankly at the white ceiling right above her, before she regained herself. That, and she had to fight the urge to stay in the bed and snuggle for three more days.

It was utter silence in the sick bay, sunlight peeking through the small slits in between the column of pale green curtains. _I could really use some food now_ , she then thought, just as a low growl in her stomach broke the serene silence she was indulging herself with. _Seriously, how long was I down?_ She forced herself to sit up, groaning slightly.

“About time you wake up, Sleepyhead,” a voice at her side hissed.

She grunted to herself and slumped back on the bed without any other word, hiding underneath the cotton white sheets. “I’m not talking to you, bastard.”

Soma was certain he was going to pop a vein or two. “After I carried your heavy sack ass from the field up to here, that’s how you treat me?” He watched her turn around, further wrapping herself with the blanket that she looks like a human burrito. Her cheeks were puffed out to a small pout, bed hair practically everywhere. “Don’t give me that look. They thought you were dead. Three days, you were a goner.” Hearing that, her body shot up in surprise, blue eyes widening at the male. She crawled out of the bed, tripping over her burrito wrapping and landing right onto the male God Eater’s chest with a muffled ‘ _umpf!_ ’ Soma had backed away as flat against the wall as possible, but the impact still had him coughing and grumbling in pain. “Be more careful, dammit!”

“What the hell...” Yuka hissed against the fabric of his shirt. “Since when did you start smelling like pudding...?”

Soma made a sound close enough to an irritated growl. “Blame a certain dumbass for pouring all his food on my shirt. Nearly killed him for it.”

She cocked up a brow. “And you haven’t changed? You’re gross. That thing is sticky as shit. Ugh.” Yuka’s lips drew to a thin scowl of disapproval, to which Soma grumbled a “Tell me about it” under his breath. And just like that, the whole of their argument, and everything that happened before she fell to a three-day coma had been forgotten, squashed at the back of their heads and hopefully, never to be brought up again. They were never made for those sappy apologies and the last time Yuka remembers Soma told her a genuine and heartfelt sorry was when they were still kids. She doesn’t even recall how old they were, but they were kids. Just kids.

It was one of the days he decided it was a good idea to escape the lab—to run away from this kind of future they were chained to. And it was one of the days he actually succeeded, going as far as drive everyone insane. Soma, this little kid who’s on his shoulders lie the future line of defense against Aragamis, had gone missing. Who wouldn’t lose their minds, right? Yuka’s memory of that day was vague, to be honest, with most of it just blurry colors and faint voices. Despite that, a part of her was certain an Aragami larger than an Ogretail was involved—was that a Vajra? Huh, it can’t be possible—and that she was the one who found Soma.

Then it was a long round of her crying, worried sick about him, yelling—”You left me!”—and then crying again. Only when she settled down to sobs did a meek ‘sorry’ slip past his lips.

Well, after that, they kind of stopped saying ‘sorry’ and just forgive each other as soon as one of them starts talking to the other. _This kind of friendship,_ Yuka mused to herself, _is actually pretty weird._ And although it sounds nice and all, it does nothing but feed this man’s pride, thinking he could do his damage and not apologize for it. Blue eyes fell on the visible stain left by the wasted dessert, and the blonde quickly frowned. “So, you still have no plans to change? Say yes and I swear I’d rip off your clothes for you.”

“Oh~ How dirty,” a familiar voice snickered. “Infirmary’s not too private for steamy and hot stuff.”

The blonde rose and wriggled out of her blanket roll. “If you don’t shut up, I’m going to get my first bite off you.”

“First bite huh? I don’t know,” the hooded female shrugged, “Maybe if you were aiming for the first kiss or my first time, I might consider giving it to you.” The pale girl smirked, raising one finger in front of her lips. “But only if Soma joins in on the fun too!”

Soma wore a rather unfazed expression, even between the bantering of the two shameless females. C must have noticed this, and had brought the blonde’s attention back to him. Yuka was flaming red—whether it was because the smaller girl was making up stuff about her or because her own secrets are being slipped out, Soma couldn’t care less—and she hurriedly claimed, hands frantically being swayed around just to get her point across, “Just so you know, I don’t swing that way!”

It was his lips’ turn to curl into a small scowl. “You’re gay for Hibari, what are you talking about?”

“But Hibari is really pretty!” Came her defense.

If C could raise a brow, she surely would have. “And how would you know that, Moonboy?” Soma hissed at the nickname. “Flower only mumbles those in her sleep.” Both mouths went shut almost immediately. Yuka hid both hands behind her back, fidgeting with her fingers and reciting mental prayers to ward the devil away. Soma, on the other hand, decided the wall at his side was far more interesting than anything else. The teal-haired girl, being the devil she is, took one more verbal step further. “Oh,” she cooed. “Looks like some people had been sharing a bed here.” Afterwards, her irritating laughter echoed throughout the room. “What’s going to come next? Sharing a bath?” Okay, no, that idea was ridiculous. “Might as well get married, no?” It was a delight to see both God Eaters frozen in shock and probably embarrassment—most likely embarrassment, because the male God Eater immediately rose and headed for the door, kicking the only obstruction in his path, which was the pale girl wearing the most sickening grin he had seen in his lifetime.

As soon as Soma had disappeared behind the door and Yuka’s hunger was momentarily distracted by C’s torture, the blonde found herself some room to breathe, picking up the sheet laying crumpled on the floor. “I could feel my consciousness slowly slipping away,” she said in utter seriousness, before turning towards the only person left in the room. “What happened while I was gone?”

C shrugged. “Nothing interesting. Though, thanks to you rejecting that big promotion offer, that boy Lenka’s life had just got ten steps closer to... danger.” The other visibly flinched, back straightening from removing those creases on the blanket she had laid atop the bed. “Not surprising. One of his pets had turned on him; so naturally, he’d need a new one. One that certainly would not question him for the time being. One that certainly would make it easier for him to rein on one of his other pets.” She grinned.

Yuka opened her mouth to protest, but was rudely cut off by her stomach growling louder than before, now reminded that it had not anything decent for three consecutive days. It was probably beginning to eat itself by now. C was still speaking nonsense into her ear, but her hunger got the best of her that she walked past the smaller female without any other word, shutting the door behind.

She can’t tell who was more surprised—her or the rest of the team. They stared at her as soon as she entered the cafeteria, mouths agape and bodies frozen in time. “`Sup?” She asked in a casual manner, sitting by their circle. Everyone exchanged glances, and with Yuka still a bit induced with sleep, she found it hard to read their expressions—except, of course, their surprise, which might as well had been written across their foreheads in huge, bold letters.

“It’s good to know you’re awake,” Sakuya finally said, lips stretching to a smile. “How are you feeling?”

“Famished,” the blonde answered, head landing on top of the table with a thud. Her blue eyes wandered over to the rest of the cafeteria. Soma did mention they had pudding for rations recently, and as disgustingly sweet it is, its gratuitous amounts of sugar might just be exactly what she needs to keep her body feel much more alive.

Or not. It is a bad habit to stuff an empty stomach with pounds and pounds of sweets, as she had learned from experience.

Yuka decided to treat herself a proper meal before she starts feeding on something else. The few people she passed by on her way and back to their table had expressed relief on knowing that she was up again, and afterwards reminding her not to overwork herself too much. Her plate landed on the table with a rather loud _clank!,_ which wasn’t intentional, but her eyes caught that split second where the rest of the team flinched. Only Lenka appeared to be much more relaxed than the rest; still, he would not meet her gaze as well. She sighed, tucking her legs under the table. “I’m not going to blame you if you’re a bit frightened.”

Instantly, they felt guilty being silent as they met her cheerless stare on her food. “I mean, who wouldn’t?” She sighed.

“I-It’s pretty damn awesome though,” Kota finally managed through shaky voice, after Alisa had nudged him on the side, urging him to be the first to speak. Since you’ve been the one who’s most jumpy, the Russian’s glare seemed to say. “You one upped Soma right there and then!”

“And you made it look extremely easy!” Alisa added, fingers now resting on the edge of the table and her torso leaning forward slightly to the blonde’s direction. “Not that I’m doubting my own capabilities as a God Eater and the power of my own God Arc, but Charge Crushes really do come in handy.”

Upon hearing that, the redhead teen’s excitement and hyperactivity clearly overpowered his fear. “Yeah! I’ve seen Soma do it a lot before, but when you struck C with one, I thought she was done for.”

Lenka’s shoulders relaxed as he leaned in to the conversation as well, one arm over the table to support himself. “Taking Soma-san’s Charge Crush head on was already physically exhausting. If I would have to do the same with the one Yuka-san used against that one Sariel, I think I’d end up in shreds even with my shield deployed.”

“Is it... some sort of psychological condition?” Sakuya finally asked, causing the blonde to tense. “Or...” She brought her gaze up from her empty plate to the female God Eater seated by her side.

Yuka was staring straight to her eyes, almost boring a hole through her soul. It lasted only for mere seconds though, almost enough for the Vice Captain to think if she had only imagined it. Blue eyes became apologetic; Sakuya noticed when she regained her senses from her own distracting thoughts. “I can’t tell. I wish I could explain, but I would probably end up making your heads spin.” Afterwards, she returned silently to her meal.

“Does Soma know?” The female Old-Type decided to press. “... or understand?”

“Who knows...?” Came a meek answer. “If he does, he’d probably never tell me.” Before the older female could turn her meal time into a one-on-one interview, Yuka turned back to the younger God Eaters and forced herself a smile, which was, in all seriousness, no sweat at all. “So, I heard Lenka is officially the one in charge of everyone now. I missed the party, didn’t I?”

She saw Kota purse his lips to a pout. “Nope. We haven’t thrown him one yet. There had been shenanigans here and there since Lenka’s official appointment and getting a hold of him was hard.” He then leaned on the back of his seat, placing both hands behind his head.

“Oh well,” the blonde chuckled. “The whole leader thing isn’t just about taking responsibility of your team outside, of course. Work would pile up in here too, especially about reports.” The younger’s body straightened as the casual tone of her voice dissipated, though she was still trying to keep her daily smile in front of the team. “And there also are a few... additional matters to handle. Wouldn’t that be right, Lenka?”

The meaningful look and the small nod she had received from him was enough confirmation.

* * *

 

“Our target for this mission is a Gboro-gboro and a Chi-You,” Lenka began as they huddled together. “Ogretails were also found lurking in the area, so it’s best we all take caution. The plan is to split into two groups for greater coverage.” His finger landed on a spot at the center of the map. “This will be our rendezvous point.” His eyes then traveled to his current group as they all lifted their heads to look at him, before his attention shifted to the footsteps closing in and the straight line drawn on the grumpy male’s lips. Soma didn’t bother joining the huddle to prove that he was uninterested, but then he had stood close enough for everyone to believe that he’s listening to the discussion. “Alisa is currently deployed with the Defense Team for an assignment, so we would have to do without her.”

“Fine by me,” Kota, Sakuya and Yuka spoke in unison, though the slight disappointment was evident in their redhead teen’s face.

This time, their leader’s eyes wandered over the blonde, who immediately crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. “I’m clear to go. Dr. Sakaki approved.”

Then that was the go signal. “Kota and I will take positions at this point,” he continued, pointing to a certain area in the map. “The three of you, on the other side. How does that sound?” He didn’t really get much of a proper answer, except for everyone around him dispersing and picking up their God Arcs. Afterwards, they all jumped into the chopper.

They were almost their first drop off point when Kota remembered he had something to say, “The rationed pudding we got was all sweet and lumpy, and my stomach goes ‘blech’ whenever it comes up to my mind. Sure we can’t be picky, with our current situation and all, but can we at least get something more nutritious?” His legs were stretched out and his hands rested at the back of his head, lips pursed to a pout.

“Well, you said it yourself. We can’t be very picky,” shrugged Sakuya.

“Yeah. Besides, some people have it worse than us,” Lenka agreed. “They’d probably give anything to experience our leisure.”

Soma snickered at the scolding the younger received, though he said nothing more. This caused Kota’s pout to grow deeper, not exactly expecting the lecture he got from the two. Quite desperate for someone to sympathize with him, he turned to Yuka’s direction. “What do you say?”

“Oh, me?” She blinked. “Well, our resources are finite, and the population in the Far East Branch only continues to grow. If we demand for something more—not that it is a bad thing—an just reason out that we are God Eaters taking suicide missions every day, the inevitable time that we run out of resources might come. This is the world after the outbreak—a post-apocalyptic Earth. We have to be even more considerate and selfless. We don’t have any more plants or trees growing in these barren lands and the animals have long become non-existent. We can’t act the way the people before the outbreak did.”

All that she had said with a straight face and Kota immediately regretted even asking her. He shifted his gaze around their vehicle, not wanting to be met by any more lectures from them. “A-Anyway, as I said, we should throw a party for our new leader the next time we all get a day off.” He caught sight of Soma standing up from his seat and taking his God Arc. “Hey, don’t you want to join the discussion?”

“No thanks.” He stood by the door of their chopper, eyeing the ground from the hole on the temple’s roof. The chopper had stopped moving, hovering over the area now. Soma clicked his tongue. “Go ahead and have your ‘shindig’. Just don’t count on my RSVP.” With those words, he took off.

Kota was obviously appalled by the response he received, cheeks puffing out and eyebrows meeting in annoyance. He leaped to the door, and began to yell, “Sheez! Don’t act so high-and-mighty just because you’re a better fighter! And don’t be so arrogant after showing up late! That’s why you don’t have any friends! Loser!”

The words that slipped past his lips obviously had the rest of the team taken aback. Sakuya opened her mouth to speak, but Kota’s realization hit him faster than she could construct a proper lecture. The teen’s face softened with regret. “I’m just trying to...” He began, looking over to everyone with a remorseful peer. “That guy’s too anti-social.” He turned to Yuka. “How do you stand him?”

The blonde sighed as she stood up, taking Knightfall to her hands. Kota instantly stepped away, keeping his annoyed stare at the other who eyed the area below, as if studying it carefully. “Patience,” she then said, her tone flat. “And figuring out his tolerance to you, which, as I see, you haven’t really gotten a hang of just yet.” In split second, she was gone too.

“Lost it,” Soma heard her grumble, Yuka quickly standing up and making a quick scan of the place. “That quick?” A hiss emanated from her lips, taking more and more of his curiosity. It was then that her blue eyes turned to him. “Was there anything here before I came?”

He growled out a ‘no’, which returned a smile to her face. Still, the questions and wonder were as clear as the sky in her vibrant blue eyes.

Sakuya was the last to appear. “Okay, time to head out.”

* * *

 

It wasn’t much of a mess. The Gboro-gboro and the Chi-You fortunately didn’t meet up, because it would be a huge scramble if they did, not to mention the Ogretails being party poopers.

Soma and his group had butchered up an Ogretail as they were checking their portion of the field, but apart from that, neither of their primary targets showed up. It only meant that the pair of boys was the unlucky one to engage with it.

Kota was bombarding the Aragami with bullets when Soma sprang up from the partition dividing their areas, swinging his blade straight at the Gboro-gboro while it was busy attacking Lenka and Kota. A series of blaze bullets spiraled towards the amphibian, just as the white-haired God Eater leaped away to avoid being hit. Lenka was not one to be one-upped rather easily, summoning his predator and aiming straight at the arm fin. He didn’t have much luck though, as the Gboro-gboro made violent waddles, nearly sending Soma off his feet as he was preparing a Charge Crush and successfully ripping away Lenka’s predator from its arm fin without receiving much damage.

The back fin rose and they all ran for cover, expecting a salvo of icy missiles towards any of them.

The raven-haired New-Type felt one make contact with his shield, but nothing else after that. He peered from the safety of his defense, only to find that the Aragami’s back fin had been broken, startling it to a downed state. Around the Gboro-gboro, remnants of a devastating charge attack were evident.

Yuka stood there, one good swipe away from the recovering Aragami. She was bent down, one hand on her knees and blade swung over her shoulder. Not surprising. That kind of attack must have required a huge amount of stamina. She lifted her head as she gasped for air, eyeing the Aragami from behind the mess of blonde locks blocking her sight. The amphibian beast roared in pure rage, and she’s certain she would have been shred in pieces with that lunging attack if Soma had not slipped in. He unbound the Aragami’s fangs in one swift strike.

They are forces to be reckoned with.

“And here I was complaining about you being some prince charming in shining armor,” she smirked. “Sorry, _babe_.”

He was far from pleased. In fact, Soma was giving her a disapproving frown. “What’s the point of getting a good hit if the Aragami could counter you with such ease?”

“Hey, at least I got it good,” she reasoned out with a shrug, straightening up and returning to battle.

It wasn’t a secret to him though that, unlike in the assignments they had teamed up on in the past, Yuka’s attention was divided. It didn’t rest on the battle alone, he figured, because every now and then, she would momentarily stop from assaulting the Aragami. Her head would turn to a different direction, as if something else was there. Perhaps only for a few moments, because she would snap her head back and simply shrug it off, clicking her tongue in annoyance.

“Was there anything here before I came?”

Was there really? Soma thought he had been imagining things; that maybe it was just this series of stressful events finally getting to his head. He thought it was just him. What if there really was?

... Some kind of shadow lurking, watching their every movement.

Another frown, much deeper than earlier, graced his lips, and he could only pour that amount of frustration to the swing of Evil One. It tore through the Gboro-gboro’s skin, and a blue glow seeped from the now unbound group of cells. He bellowed, calling out their leader’s attention.

It was how they got rid of the amphibian Aragami—through his sheer frustration.

He must have said that a little too loud, because Yuka started giggling from behind. “What do you know,” her voice rolled through his ears in a soft whisper, lips pursing to a mischievous smile. “It actually works.”

“I don’t want to hear that coming from you,” he snorted, “who mercilessly massacred two Sariels because you were angry at me.”

Yuka simply shrugged, then allowed her gaze to drift over to one of the abandoned shrines decorating the area. Her eyes narrowed. It was whatever was distracting her again. Soma followed her gaze, but he saw only emptiness, the building’s wooden frames being caught on the flow of time. They looked brittle, almost fragile to touch, with light seeping through every possible opening in between those lined up boards. There was not even a single shadow. “Am I... imagining it...?” She mumbled.

 _There she goes,_ the thought ran through his head, _acting out of the ordinary again._

A faint gust crawled to their skins and they were all stirred from silence. It was as if all of them had suddenly been woken up from a split-second slumber. They exchanged glances. Finally, Lenka took the lead, “Let’s go find that Chi-You.”

“We don’t have to,” Yuka told him, carefully placing a snare trap below one of the shrines, which was supposed to be their rendezvous point if unexpected events occur. “It already found us.”

He would be damned to admit it out loud, but Yuka’s moments of intelligence were beginning to make him suspicious. Since they started working together, he had established that she was but mediocre in the field, making him erupt to furious outbursts with playful bantering and thoughtless actions. He had established that she was stupid beyond saving. (He might have exaggerated that one and surely, receive childish complaints and whines from a certain blonde.) But her cover was obviously slipping up, and the power she’d been hiding beneath was beginning to pour out, it was scaring everyone.

Soma dispelled that lump in his throat with a painful swallow, his knuckles nearly turning white from his tight grip on the handle of his blade. If the dam’s walls break down, and all those water crashes onto them with undetermined amount of force, he doesn’t know what to do.

After all, he had seen that monster only once in his life, and it left a memory now vague in his head.

The Chi-You flew straight into the snare trap, and it immediately regretted that. It reacted violently to the trap in an attempt to break free, its roar muffled out upon a head-on impact with a Charge Crush. It only grew angrier.

“Oh, this one’s tough,” noted Kota with a smug grin, letting laser bullets soar in the air and dive straight for the Aragami’s head. His grin didn’t last though, as the young teen yelped, losing his composure in an attempt to avoid a condensed energy ball that missed him barely by a few steps.

Lenka leaped, slashing at the avian Aragami’s wings. The place shook with a pained howl, the Chi-You now lashing out on them with bomb balls raining from every direction. “Its wings are damaged!” Their leader finally yelled. “The wings are already unbound!”

For real? Did the Aragami engage against something else before them? Whatever it was, it surely was powerful enough to leave such damage—powerful enough for Soma to consider a... Vajra or Aragamis within its level. If that was the case, then a greater danger might just be looming above them.

“Soma, stay in the game!” Sakuya’s voice broke through his train of thoughts, saving him from the barrage of multi-balls the Chi-You had hurled to his direction. The white-haired lad clicked his tongue, mentally cursing himself for being lost amidst an operation. Though making up to that mistake is easy by just swinging his blade to any vital parts of the Aragami, he couldn’t help the grumbles that escape his lips.

They all toppled off their feet when another condensed ball erupted, catching them within the explosion. Portions of their clothes were smoldering, and Soma reminded himself to get his jacket fixed because the burn on its end is far from aesthetically pleasing.

“What the hell...” Yuka hissed, rising back up. He witnessed inexpressible fear flicker in his team’s eyes, the blonde’s hoarse voice rippling through the air. That emotion flittered only for mere moments though, as Lenka followed suit, and in not less than a few minutes, they were chasing the Chi-You again.

* * *

 

“Aah~”Kota breathed out. “Getting something accomplished feels great!”

There was that odd presence again, constantly, rapidly moving. Yuka whipped her head to all four directions, expecting something—anything to pounce on them by surprise. Instead, she was met with another serene whisper from the winds. The cold temperature of the Tranquil Temple was beginning to crawl under her skin, making the tip of her nose slightly red. The moment she felt her partner’s gaze fixed on her, she knew Soma had noticed her spasmodic behavior. As Sakuya, Kota and Lenka discussed among themselves while waiting for their transport back home, the hooded male shouldered his God Arc and began to hike up the higher floor of the Tranquil Temple.

“Where are you headed?” He heard Sakuya’s question, but pretended otherwise, small puffs of white appearing before his face every time he breathed out.

Blue eyes stared at the male’s back, before Yuka finally opened her mouth to speak, her tone wearing not a single emotion. “You guys could stay here and wait for the chopper. I’ll go after him.” She tried to make it sound like an exasperated sigh, but she knew she failed.

“Alright then.” Lenka nodded at her. “If the chopper gets here and you aren’t, we’ll come get you.”

“See you around.”

No doubt. Soma was beginning to improve in reading her. They were almost at the end of the ramp when he asked, “Shouldn’t you be the one leading the way?”

“Eh, I thought you already know where to go?”

They strode inside the largest shrine present in the area, which was their group’s drop-off point. It was silent, their breathing and movements being the only noises bouncing on the walls. Soma stood by the entrance of the building, his eyes narrowing at the display lined up on the other side across him. They were large, certainly larger in size than a regular human. He frowned. How huge is the possibility that the two of them are simply imagining it?

Yuka had better ideas, walking past him without taking her own blue eyes from the arrangement of displays—are they statues? He couldn’t care less. “Are you done?” He asked.

She didn’t answer, and the flat line of her lips curled downwards to a scowl. Why there exists the feeling that she should know what exactly what it is that she’s looking for? Had she come across it before? The lack of answers is extremely frustrating that the blonde was so close to banging her head straight on the wall before her. But Yuka simply stood there, contemplating whether or not to further inspect every inch of those displays, even if she’s knowledgeable that it wouldn’t them any good. Except, of course, the satisfaction it would give her. It would, surely, let her sleep peacefully tonight.

The explore option sounded like a very good one, and she would have done that if the sound of Soma swinging his massive Evil One didn’t register to her ears. She turned to his direction in panic, in case it was a large Aragami, the small glimpse of white she caught from the corner of her eyes now another memory that would be stuck at the back of her head.

It was just Kota and Lenka.

“H-Hey, hold up! It’s only me!” The redhead teen quickly said, holding up his gun in defense with his eyes shut tight.

“Huh! Oh, so it’s YOU...” The older male then said in a slight hiss, his composure unfazed as he withdrew his blade.

Kota looked offended. “Hey, thanks a lot!” He huffed, lowering his own weapon as well. “We came out here looking for you guys since you both were taking so long!”

“Who asked you to look for me?”The other scowled. “I’m going to do whatever the hell I want.”From where she stood, Yuka pulled out a deep, heavy sigh from within her chest.

“But we’re comrades from the same unit! Don’t be so egocentric!”

The blonde could clearly feel green eyes fixed on her. When her gaze met Lenka’s, another sigh escaped from her, and she only shook her head. Sometimes, there are just times that intervention wouldn’t do anything beneficial.

Soma snorted. “Comrades, huh?” There was a short pause in his speech, as they laid there waiting for harsh words to come from the Far East’s famed Death God. “If you’re talking about the kind of comrades who can’t survive a little jab, who you can’t even trust to have your back...” She saw Kota and Lenka both straighten. “... It’s better not to have them at all.”

At this point, even their team’s mood maker grew annoyed. “Why, you...” He hissed, before huffing out, “Okay then! You’re so special! You’re incredible!” Lenka’s attention moved to said redhead in a bat of an eye. “You think you’re such a hotshot...” (Yuka wouldn’t be denying, in all honesty.) “Suit yourself! I’m heading back without you!” With those words hanging in the cold air, he marched out of the shrine and of their sight.

Lenka frowned, Yuka sighed once more, but Soma’s scowl only grew. _Great, Lenka,_ she thought, eyeing the two God Eaters that stood in silence across her. _What are you going to do about this?_

But she chose to remain in silence, consoling neither of the two parties involved. Although, the next words registering on her ears did more than make her tense.

“I told you before,” Soma turned to Lenka, his gaze still sharp and his voice gruff, “you shouldn’t have anything to do with a monster like me.” His attention then shifted towards her, but he failed to notice how her expression had tightened. “Do you have plans on leaving or what?” Before her knuckles could turn white, Yuka strode forward.

 _A monster like you, huh? What does that make me then, a spawn of Satan? The devil incarnate?_ Yuka scoffed in silence, allowing those words to remain unspoken, carried by the wind and never to be brought up again.


	33. The True Race Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuka brought the edge of her mug in between her lips. The thickening bags under her eyes clearly said that she had been as restless as he is, or probably even worse. “Look, Soma,” she began. “I honestly think it's high time you stop blaming yourself.” Her words made him straighten, sharp blue eyes looking up at hers that looks like she was counting the bubbles of her chocolate. “It would just keep haunting you forever.”
> 
> “Are you sure you are talking to me, or to yourself?”

“I heard you got called into his office again.”

Yuka pulled her head back from inside the shelf by her bed, eyes wandering over to the raven-haired male who stood by her doorstep. His expression was clearly bothered, and the way his hands fidgeted further defended the kind of face he wore. Did something happen while he was inside? “Come in,” she then said, sliding in the book she held in her hand before standing up. The younger God Eater stepped inside, and he heard a gentle click behind him. “Should I make you some tea? Coffee? Or would you prefer milk like Soma does?”

“Soma-san drinks milk?”

The blonde cocked up a brow. “What do you suppose he takes in the morning? Beer?”

He looked like he contemplated whether to answer or not, and after a few moments, decided against it. “Tea... would really be nice,” he finally said, just as the blonde had gestured at the couch on one side of the room. She had her eyes on the drink she was working on, but the sound of something light casually thrown to her table didn't escape her hearing. Was that a disc?

In about four or five minutes, two cups had landed before him, Yuka generously placing the choices of lemon, milk, and sugar before the raven-haired male. As she sat on the other side of the furniture, she took a spoon of sugar and dropped it right on her teacup. “So, what's the snitch?” Lenka didn't have to answer. Her eyes immediately dropped on the disc sitting on one side of the table. “From the Director?”

“From Dr. Sakaki.”

She eyed him in silence, the edge of her cup on her lips. “Did he say anything in particular?”

“ _'Are you the type of person who has a great deal of curiosity?'_ “

“Have you seen it?”

“I took a look just a while ago.”

She sighed. _She'd been doing that a little often lately,_ the younger God Eater thought, watching the other pick up the disc and stand up. The terminal booted up, and received the disc, the blonde speaking of nothing all the while.

The very moment the files finished loading, a single “Shit...” went past the blonde's lips, eyebrows furrowed and jaw tight. Hearing that, Lenka took a final sip of his tea and rose, walking over to stand by her side. Her eyes were glued on the screen, face apathetic and hands on either side of the terminal. He found it hard to read what was going inside her head, but judging from the way her lips pursed to a straight line, it was safe to assume that it was far from delightful. “I didn't know they're still here,” he heard her whisper, just as the video footage went shaky, showing a man in white running from behind the camera to the area of focus. “But it's the doctor's, so...” The video then faded to darkness.

Yuka found her breath stuck at her throat, her fingers moving on their own to pause the new video file playing. “Yuka-san...?” Lenka's voice barely reached her, the blonde too focus on keeping herself from tearing up. What is it that the doctor wants for him to show Lenka the Mánagarm Project? What is that Lenka wants for him to show her the Mánagarm Project? “Yuka-san?” He repeated, this time, a little louder.

She was shaken from the trance, and pulled her hands up to wipe the tears threatening to make a show. “R-Right.” She moved her hand to play the file, but before another frame, he pressed pause. He turned to the screen. He was very familiar with two of the people seated around the table. They were the Director and Dr. Sakaki, younger and dressed in peachy clean lab gowns. A woman sat on their side, with flowing black hair and tanned tone. It was Soma's mother, Aisha Gauche. Lenka had seen her only once in a small photo, but he can't be mistaken. However, his senior's eyes were fixated on the two more people at the lower end of the screen—a woman with short, honey golden locks that goes past the nape of her neck, and a man sat beside her, with dark brown hair. They wore lab gowns like everyone else, hands entwined atop the table.

Yuka was crying; Lenka wasn't even sure if she was aware of it. She, however, seemed to have realized this quickly, and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. “Sorry,” she meekly said. “I just... haven't heard and saw them in a long time. I've been relying on recordings and old photos for the past years, so seeing them move and hearing their voices at the same time are just...” Her smile was bitter, and when there were only the wet trails of tears left on her cheeks, she looked up at the screen again. “They're... my parents.”

Her father was a lot younger than she remembered. He was yet to have those wrinkles on his face; she could see, even through the low quality of the file. And her mother— _dear God,_ her mother. Her father was right; she looked just like her. Her hair curls on the ends like hers do, and her fingers were as slender as hers. Yuka could just keep rambling on and on in her head of what else they might have in common, but she decided to save that for later and pressed play.

_“Just as we thought,” Aisha spoke with grim in her voice, arms crossed over her chest and eyes fixed on the smoke steaming from her cup of hot coffee. The smoke thinned out rapidly as it rose, disappearing from her sight. “Embedding the Bias Factor into the adult organism would be difficult.”_

_Paylor raised his head, hands remaining firm on his lap, and his own cup of coffee beginning to grow cold. “Even then, it looks like it would be hard to induce apoptosis.” It is a form of cell death in which a programmed sequence of events leads to the elimination of cells without releasing harmful substances to surrounding areas. It plays a crucial role in the human body, eliminating old, unnecessary and unhealthy cells. They had been trying to make the same kind of miracle in Aragamis and its own Oracle Cells, and it is not a lie to say that their many attempts had all been but futile._

_“Our best bet is to probably do it in the prenatal stage,” Eito stated, fingers laced with his wife's, while the other held a pen he was tapping against a file of papers. “We've had success with rats, at least.” From the corner of his amber eyes, he caught sight of Paylor leaning closer to the table to pick up his cup of coffee. There was a 'That's right.' that came out of the man's lips, before he took a sip._

_Their discussion fell on a silent pause, the air inside the room heavy. “Either way,” Johannes began, fingers woven together as he pressed his chin against them. His gaze traveled from every person present in the room, as if he was weighing to continue or not. They are scientists, and science breakthroughs always had risks—they knew that very well. Experiments succeed and fail, but if they refuse to take such leaps, then moving forward would never be for any of them. Besides, this isn't just for them, but also for the world; to finally fight against the Aragamis, they should all be willing to make this jump, regardless how high or difficult it is. “It's high time we conducted a clinical test on a human.”_

_Despite Paylor's lack of change in expression, his voice had audibly become tense, hinting a slight of disapproval on his side. “I'm not rejecting that kind of approach—taking something we don't understand in principle, and using it blindly...”_

_Eito seemed to have the same idea, reclining back on his chair, hand finally slipping from its hold on Monika's. He was now tapping the end of his pen on his chin, gaze pulled low. “We've just started to understand what makes the P73 Bias Factor tick. I don't think we are ready to do this yet.” The risks had always been there, he understood that. But they couldn't just decide on this without thinking it through, as it is a human being's life that they plan to involve. Can they really put into a danger a life that is yet to see the break of dawn?_

_Johannes' lips moved to a scowl, his eyes twitching ever so slightly. There it is. The marking that another heated debate might start with a simple disagreement. “How can we just sit back and wait, when nearly tens of thousands people a day are being devoured by the Aragami?” He had a point. It was another decision that questions if they wish to save the lives of many or those very few volunteers of them—if they will have volunteers, that is. The blond male shifted his gaze from the flat top of the table, the logo of Fenrir engraved on the center, to Paylor and Eito who sat on the other side._

_Aisha held onto her forehead in deep thought, middle finger and thumb massaging her temples. Monika was as torn as she was, her shoulders dropped and her face looking like she was ready to pull the heaviest sighs. It was as if the world had been placed atop their shoulders, and that wasn't very far from what is happening._

_“Are you saying you're going to test it on yourself, like Pettenkofer?” Paylor questioned._

_“Yes... if it proves feasible, then I'll test it in myself!”_

_The sudden outburst led both females to exchange glances. Monika's lips were quivering, hands balled into fists atop the finely furnished furniture. Nevertheless, she nodded at Aisha, who immediately took a turn at the blond male. “Johannes... let's embed it into my... into our baby,” she spoke, her voice nearly breaking at the latter part._

_“The babies,” corrected Monika, one hand gently caressing her belly. She smiled as she did so, eyeing her own hand's movement, like she would on those lovely bouquets of blue and purple flowers, a bit of yellow peeking from where the petals meet._

_It was a big jump—a big, dangerous jump, but if they would not give it a try, then who will? How long will they make this wait?_

_Both women bit their lips, awaiting the reactions of the rest of the crew._

_“Have you lost your mind?” Eito and Johannes raised their voices in unison, the former pulling back from his reclining position to give his significant other a look of utter astonishment. There are chances that it would work, but is Monika really willing to let their child carry that burden—the burden they should be carrying by themselves?_

_Johannes had a much calmer reaction, but his expression clearly displayed how appalled he was. “Aisha, I know this is your project,” his gaze travelled to the blonde sitting across his wife, “and I understand how supportive you are of this, Monika, but... not the children...” He sighed, now refusing to meet the gaze of any of them._

_“It's a bridge that somebody has to cross,” replied the raven-haired woman. This time, her voice was much more firm than earlier. “So why not us?”_

_“But...”_

_It only seemed that the air grew heavier and even tenser._

_Aisha and Johannes began to discuss in silent stares, both knowing the dangers this kind of step would bring. If it fails, it could endanger their lives. They could lose them and the children._

_Eito's thumb brushed against the soft skin of his wife's hand. They had pulled their chair a little closer to each other, as Monika was now leaning on his shoulder, her whispers too soft that they were inaudible for the rest of the crew. She was wearing that warm, confident smile on her face—the smile that said that through thick and thin, regardless of the contingencies, they will push through. It is their project, and if there is anyone to plunge into the depths of the unknown, it should be them. They know the ins and outs of this project. They are the most fitting volunteers._

_Them and nobody else._

_“It's feasible... but I can't agree to it,” Paylor finally said, taking everyone's attentions on him._

_Monika straightened. “Aisha and I have talked about this. The idea of letting the children see a world in the brink of destruction, we simply cannot fathom that. We are given the chance to make that change. For the two of them, I'm crossing that bridge. Even if it means exchanging my life—”_

_“Don't say that.”_

_“I'm willing to give it up for a paradise my child could live in.”_

_Aisha smiled. “Correction: we.”_

_Johannes, who had been silently pondering over the suggestion, finally lifted his head and broke the staring game he was playing with the table top. “You have my support,” he then said, though the strain in his voice was still evident._

_“I can't... I can't really let you go on this by yourself, can I?” Eito finally sighed, gracing his lips with a small smile. Still, it only heightened the already heavy pressure pressed on their shoulders. These are their children involved now—they can't make even the slightest mistake. They can't lose anybody. “We would just be a hundred percent more careful.” They all read the concern and fear in his eyes. It existed in theirs too._

_Paylor sighed as well, holding back the urge to shake his head in disagreement. These people are his friends, his colleagues. They had been working together on this study for long. Even if this idea of theirs goes against his wishes, he is in no position to raise an argument. The only option left for him was to give them his full support. “Both parents approve, huh? Then there's no room for discussion, is there?” And even if there is, he doubted that he will be able to change their minds. Monika's dedication rival that of Aisha's, he had witnessed that. They would sit together, the good friends that they were, and refuse to sleep until they had found a solution to the problem. This must be what they have been discussing over a cup of coffee yesterday night. Paylor decided to take his final option. “In that case, I'm taking myself off this project. Our methodology is too much at odds”_

_“Sakaki...”_

_“I'll always be a Stargazer,” he continued. “I'm someone who observes the stars. I'm not going to interfere with your crucial decisions.” All eyes were on him, and they seemed to understand the choice he made. If Eito could pick, he would have done the same. “I'm going to continue my Bias Factor research in my own way. I'm sure our paths will cross again. Excuse me...” He rose. “Goodbye.”_

Just as he was leaving the room, the video came to an end. It led the next on to automatically play, the terminal screen momentarily going shaky before it revealed the face of Aisha Gauche, comfortable on bed and clad in hospital clothes. She was smiling, hand rubbing her belly with a mother's known gentleness. Not far behind her, Yuka's mother, Monika, also came to view, dressed in the same monochromatic fabric as her friend and fellow patient. Her smile was radiant, and Lenka immediately knew where the blonde beside him had gotten that smile of hers. Monika made a small wave at the camera. Beside him was Eito who also smiled at the camera, a black rectangular object resting on his hand. It appeared that they were doing a separate documentation, but appreciated the cameo nonetheless.

“Hi, mom. Hi, dad,” Yuka meekly answered, waving back with a pained smile.

Lenka almost felt sorry about showing this to her.

After that, the camera's attention returned to the project head, aligning itself properly for a much firmer view. “How are you feeling?” The voice of the Director asked. Lenka assumed he was the one filming.

“Fine... And physically well, too,” came the answer. She looked down at the growing lump on her stomach, and her smile grew wider. “I can't wait for your birth...” Her voice was soft and tender, endearing and loving. _Soma's mother,_ Lenka thought. _If she had been alive, would Soma be an entirely different person?_ He returned his gaze to the camera as Aisha spoke again, “Where's Sakaki?”

He could sense that the Director frowned slightly. “He sent the two of you good luck charms for safe delivery. But he's still unreachable.”

Aisha's smile quickly vanished, and her lips pursed to a straight line. Even Yuka's parents from the bed next to them paused to turn their attention to the conversation, with Monika letting out an audible sigh. “I see... So he's still angry at us for pushing with the project.”

“Don't think about that now. It's not good for you,” the Director replied, in an attempt to console the other.

She returned her gaze to the camera. “I want you hold onto my charm for me. Good luck tomorrow.”

The video came to an end.

“What the fuck...” Yuka chuckled, despite the tears on the corners of her eyes. “I just said hi to a video. I'm such a dork.”

Another video began to play.

Lenka recognized the place in the background, that red and white flag of Fenrir hanging nearly motionless on the wall. It was the Director's office, and there, in front of the camera, sat Johannes von Schicksal, the Fenrir Far East Branch Director. His shoulders rested on the top of his desk, fingers woven together. “Hello, Paylor. It's been a long time,” he began. “As you know, following that appalling incident, the Mánagarm Project—” Mánagarm Project? “—was, for all intents and purposes, suspended.”

Suspended? The raven haired God Eater shifted his attention towards the blonde, but she was too deep, too interested on what the man on the screen has to say. Yuka had her arms crossed, fingers digging onto the flesh of her arms, almost enough to scrape the skin.

“The only survivors of that accident were Soma, who was born carrying the Bias Factor and Yuka, who, though born three months premature, was growing as well as Soma,” he continued. “Eito, who was called by the Headquarters during that time...” There was a pause, and his eyes wandered from the camera for a moment, as if he was finding the words that should come out of his mouth. “... and myself, who happened to have your 'Safe Birth Charm' in my possession.” He lowered his gaze so that it was the bridge of his nose now pressed on his laced fingers. “Who knew that the charm technology you developed...” He sighed. “...would one day be used to build an anti-Aragami Armored Wall, protecting humankind from the Aragami?”

The Armored Wall? The Armored Wall was inspired from a small piece of technology Dr. Sakaki had created? Lenka allowed the information to sink in, and judging from the silence of the older female, either this does not surprise her, or she'd known this far longer than he thought.

The file continued to play. “As a scientist, I am painfully aware that I cannot hold a candle to you. Most likely, you had predicted that this would come to pass. Am I wrong?” The Director lifted his gaze, awaiting an answer, but there was only silence, even from the two God Eaters standing on the other side of the screen. Johannes laughed, as he leaned on the back of his chair, “Fear not. I'm not sending this e-mail in order to blame you for anything. In the coming week, I'll be appointed Director of the Fenrir Far East Branch. And so,” he resumed his original position; “I'd like to ask you to join forces with me once again. In return, I promise you ample funding for your research... and you will also be in charge of all development pertaining to the God Eaters.” A small smile threatened to make a show on the man's lips. “By the way, I never introduced you to the children. Well, that being so, expect me to call you in the near future. Until then, my friend.” He moved a hand and pressed a button, causing the screen to turn into a static mess.

Shortly, a message appeared:

> **_Anyone who picks up this disc should return it to Dr. Sakaki's lab._ **
> 
> **_Don't tell me you watched it._ **

And then, the terminal spit out said disc, which Yuka took to her hands. “Well, just don't tell him you watched it and you'll come out of his office alive and breathing.” His shoulders tensed, leading a cackle to slip out of the blonde's lips. She clasped the object in between his hands, her smile now sad and pained. Lenka understood that expression. It meant that whatever questions he had running on his head right now will have to wait, until she had gathered herself up. “If Dr. Sakaki had shown this to you on purpose...” Her voice was mellow. “... I don't think you have anything to worry about.” He didn't know her hands were warm and soft, and that her eyes glint the bluish violet color of irises under the afternoon sun. She laughed once more. “No, I think you have everything to worry about, because...” She pulled her hands back from the contact, and he let his rest on his sides, as she reached up to gently ruffle his hair, just like how Iroha used to back then. “... you've just been given the opportunity to play a crucial role in this play.”

His eyes were filled with inquiry demanding satisfactory answers.

But she only smiled at him.

How cruel.

He didn't know everything, but he knew enough to understand why a certain male God Eater had shut himself in from the rest of the world, and why this female God Eater before him strives to make him do otherwise. His voice was soft, mumbling a small 'thank you' and a bow, before he take strides towards the door.

“By the way, Lenka...”

He stopped.

“... Enjoy the race.”

_A race...?_

* * *

 

Soma's nightmares were growing worse. To think that Yuka wasn't even in it yet, and, God forbid, he prayed she would never make an appearance there. Dealing with her in the morning was already an irritating way to start another fucked up day, especially when she starts that habit of stealing his clothes. Sleeping was the only time he ever gets the chance to actually take a fucking rest, and his nightmares had to fuck that one up too.

It would stir him in the middle of the night, only to find that a certain blonde had stolen his blanket. From then, his futile attempts to get her back to her room would start, which would just end up with him giving up.

He could never have a break. Just how many nights had he gone sleepless?

Soma rose from his side of the bed, grunting softly to himself as he picked up his yellow shirt from where he had tossed it. The room was pitch black, and he wondered if it is pure memory that helps Yuka navigate through the darkness and to his bed. That's true for him. He stepped out of his bed, slipping into his clothes. He managed to reach the kitchen counter, knocking and kicking a few things on his way, but the male didn't bother staying silent. He could throw a fit inside his room and Yuka still would not stir, being the heavy sleeper she is. A few cups rattled and tumbled over the counter as Soma weaved his way through. Finally, his fingers met cold ceramic, and he pulled it close to the edge of the counter. He allowed his eyes to adjust in the darkness, before he finally decided to flick a single switch on. The light above him burst into life, allowing him to finally recognize the things around him.

He caught sight of a note stuck on the body of his thermos.

 _Here's your hot choco. Just boil it again if it's not hot enough for you, it said._ Below it, there was another note. _Got you marshmallows. :)_

Yuka surely knows what to do. To think that he had not told her anything.

Soma uncapped the thermos and poured it into his mug. “Me too,” a groggy voice groaned out, and he heard the sheets rustle under her every movement. She blinked up at the ceiling for a few good minutes, as if pondering whether to get up or shrink back to the comforts of the bed. After a while, her gaze travelled to the window. “What time is it?”

“Who knows?” He grumbled.

“Why are you awake?”

“None of your business.” Soma pulled out another mug from the very few he owned, and filled it with hot chocolate. After placing the thermos' cap back into place, he reached for the bag of marshmallows. Considering how hard things are in the Den and how thrifty had the top been when it comes to distributing goods, he knew he should be surprised how she could even get her hands on something that is far from necessary. He took a handful of the sweets when she mumbled 'Six.' and he let those white fluffs boat around her mug of chocolate.

She eyed the four fluffs floating inside his mug, as she reached for hers. “You should get back to sleep.”

Another grunt resonated from his throat. “Shouldn't you too?"

Yuka brought the edge of mug in between her lips. The thickening bags under her eyes clearly said that she had been as restless as he is, or probably even worse. “Look, Soma,” she began. “I honestly think it's high time you stop blaming yourself.” Her words made him straighten, sharp blue eyes looking up at hers that looks like she was counting the bubbles of her chocolate. “It would just keep haunting you forever.”

“Are you sure you are talking to me, or to yourself?”

She half-frowned, half-pouted. They are carrying the same kind of burden; she can't lecture him about it without it backfiring on her. He snorted, and the room fell into silence.

How could she easily ask him to do something like that? Like hell she was able to do the same. Besides, her mother died the same day his did because of him. It's not the kind of guilt that can be lifted easily from anyone's shoulders, especially because he knew he rid her of the chance of having a complete family. Soma downed his entire mug of chocolate, in belief that it will carry with it the painful lump growing in his throat. He watched her do the same with hers, licking any beverage residue from the edge of her lips before she slid down off the bed, dragging a portion of the sheets down to the floor. “Where are you going?” The male questioned, gaze following her every movement when she placed the two empty mugs on the sink. The fact that she had stolen another one of his clothes was decided to let pass, the fabric rising a bit from her hips as she stretched her arms up.

“Work-out,” Yuka answered. “Or research; get my hands on the terminal. I don't know; anything but sleep.”

That explains the thick bags under her eyes, and Soma wondered if it would be alright for him to do the same.

In the end, he didn't do any of those, but still remained wide awake up until the sun was beaming at him from far beyond the horizon, blasting rays and rays of sunlight past the thick curtains he decided to pull open for once. He lazily pulled his stare away from the uninteresting ceiling, and worked his way to the counter again. He reheated the rest of the chocolate drink, rewarded himself a generous amount of marshmallows, and changed to a newer set of clothes—he reminded himself to demand Yuka to return all his clothes she stole because his closet was running empty—before heading out.

Sakuya and Yuka were seated together, in a calm discussion of possible strategies and tactics for what appeals to him as a mission. The rest of the team was on the other side of the couch, appearing to be waiting for him. He grunted slightly as their eyes all fell on him.

“Can't they just merge this into one big mission?” Kota pouted slightly. “I mean, these two are both in the temple area. Quite a distance from each other but—”

Lenka's eyes travelled to the specifications of both assignments. “It says here that the materials are as important as the cores.”

“Then?” Alisa cocked up a brow.

Sakuya sighed. “It means we have to harvest the required materials from the Aragamis before they start decaying.”

“I know that much,” the redhead teen replied, his pout deepening.

“But Kota is a gun-user, isn't he? The whole harvesting process isn't a job for you, so I understand,” the blonde beside Sakuya said, her voice a little groggy and tired. Her shoulders slumped at the slightest, and it certainly looked like she was trying to resist the temptation of leaning onto their Vice Captain's shoulders to doze off to a slumber. “Gathering materials from an Aragami's corpse isn't exactly that easy. The predator would take its fucking time to chew on those chunks of Oracle Cells before it actually gets what we need.”

“I see. I see. Shall we move on to the divisions now?” Surely, it was annoying to be lectured by the entirety of the team.

They all hid their smug smirks for the sake of the boy. “Yuka-san and Sakuya-san will handle Sleet. The rest of us will do Symbol of Swords.” Sleet is a mission to gather a Polar Kongou's bone and armor, which Dr. Sakaki had given to prefix _'Wukong'_. The report also stated the presence of a group of Ogretails and Cocoon Maidens which should not be much of a problem. Symbol on Swords, on the other hand, requires an end product of Aragami Fang and Knt Needle.

Soma felt Yuka's eyes heavy on him. He wanted to argue that he was fine, and that she looks like the most likely to screw up, but he only glared away her concern on him. He just needed to fight sleep, which is all; do a job better than her and things would go well. Except for the fact that the wink of nap he had last night was not enough.

He was almost afraid to fall into that slumber he knew the human part of his body needed.

He yawned repeatedly throughout the trip, internally cursing himself for chugging down that hot chocolate instead of two or three cups of coffee. At some undetermined point in time, Soma Schicksal gave up and gave in.

The nightmares grew worse. They started out as simple flashes of images—some he could remember where and when, some not—then became moving pictures. They were all in his head, he knew, but even after years and years had passed, they all still felt _too_ real, as if he was swept back in time to relive that horrible portion of his childhood. Slowly, they grew sounds, faint and incomprehensible at first, but as the days went by, they rang in his ears endlessly, and his mother's voice in those dreams was as clear as Yuka's in reality.

Soma felt like he was drifting, floating. He felt like water was all around him, threatening to crush him under its great pressure, similar to the pain and sadness he had bottled inside of him since he was little. The pictures and flashbacks had disappeared, and he found himself surrounded by darkness. He wished to open his eyes, but realized he found no strength to do so.

The voices came, beginning as calm waves and ending as huge tsunamis.

 _“How are you feeling?”_ It was that man's voice.

 _“Fine... and physically well, too.”_ A woman's voice answered. Soma couldn't see a damn thing, but he knew who those voices belonged to. They had been playing inside his head repeatedly for years, and every tone, every word had been ingrained inside his head. There was a short envelopment of silence, before he felt unfamiliar warmth around him—all over him. It was comforting, loving—sensations he had rarely felt throughout his life. _“I can't wait for your birth...”_ He wished to indulge in that gentleness, that love, that much care. _“Where's Sakaki?”_

His father's voice rang again. _“He sent the two of you good luck charms for a safe delivery. But he's still unreachable.”_

 _Safe delivery?_ He was pretty sure he scowled.

The exchange went on. _“I see... So he's still angry with us for pushing ahead with the project.”_

_“Don't think about that now. It's not good for you.”_

_“I want you to hold onto that charm for me. Good luck tomorrow...”_

He felt his body move, like he had jumped into a huge and deep body of water and buoyancy was beginning to lift him up. The voices in his head grew louder, his rib cage constricting inside him, almost squeezing his heart in this pain.

_“You... will bring joy into this world. Protect everyone from... the Aragami...”_

**His** voice boomed. _“You were born to rid the world of all Aragami. Listen to me... Exterminate them all!”_

_Fucking fine!_

New voices were beginning to flood his head and ears. They were annoying. Infuriating. Aggravating. Vexatious. Soma wanted to pick up his God Arc and swing it on anything— **everything**. They were all over him. Even under the cloak of complete darkness, he could envision clearly their judgmental eyes pinning him down. They were staring at him like he was some kind of monster—because he is.

That's what he is.

Nothing more, nothing less.

_“His basal metabolism is abnormally high, compared to that of normal children...”_

_“That boy... he needed eight stitches for that injury... but the wound had completely healed by the next day! He can't be human...”_

_“H-he has acute hearing, too... so be careful what you say, or the doctor will be angry with you.”_

_“So, um... Is there anyone from his squad who's survived?”_

He was beginning to recognize light, and it was rapidly growing, almost as if he was drifting right to it.

_“I'd rather not team up with that one if I can help it.”_

_“In the last few weeks, Eric and Lindow have been killed, right? That's beyond crazy.”_

_“Hey... hey... the doctor told me that your mother died... because of you...”_

The darkness around him vanished.

“Dammit!” The hooded male jolted awake, inhaling sharply. The sudden return to reality made him suffer a bit of a jetlag that he momentarily stared at the image before him, three pairs of feet surrounding him in a semi-circle. Evil One felt slightly heavy on his shoulder.

Alisa was the first to speak. “Oh!” She gasped. “R-Really, you shouldn't scare people like that!”

“Seemed like you were having a nightmare,” Kota said. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah...” He answered, averting his gazes from them. His eyes were left to study every inch of detail tracing the body of his sword. There was never a time he paid that much attention to his God Arc, but now that he did, he took notice of the numerous scratch marks decorating it, and even blotches of blood left there. Evil One is old; he'd had it for so long.

At Kota's voice, he snapped out of his trance. “Huh? That's not like you, to be so civil!” There goes this damn brat's attitude again. If he was only holding onto the handle of his weapon, this bastard would have been dead in less than two fucking seconds.

He growled. “Back off! Just shut up...”

The other nodded and grinned at their companions, as if he had won a gold trophy for the first time in forever. “That's more like it... You're fine... Come on, let's go!”

He can't believe he'd actually thought of this right now, but somehow, a part of him wished that Yuka was with them. At least she was better in reigning in on these kids.

In the distance, the Borg Camlann's shriek broke through cold silence. Soma stood up.


	34. Hematite Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Soma remained shut, she decided to push forward. “She’s here—breathing, alive—because you are, literally, her last straw. You are her driving force, her motivation.” When the reaction she received was only his lips falling open at their slightest, and a stare of disbelief, C had to hold back the desire to head butt him to oblivion. It was fucking tiring, to explain every single statement, every single word to the man standing in front of her. “You seriously think Yuka sticks this close to you because she wants to be every bit of annoying?” Humans are confusing. “You seriously think she’s been doing it for her own entertainment?” Humans are pathetic. “She’s inseparable from you because you are her final lifeline. Yuka survived this long—endured this long because of longing, and that is exactly what drove her to make every attempt to be reunited with you.” And that is why humans are extremely easy to manipulate. That is why humans are fun.

No matter how much she tried to hide it, Yuka eventually lost at her heart almost leaping out of her chest in pure joy. Her lips twisted to the smallest smug grin she could manage. “So, the wolf dog can be tricked,” she told Sakaki, who responded with a smile on his face.

“Indeed,” the doctor said, his fingers hovering over the keys of his keyboard. But, after a short while, he turned his attention towards the rest of the team, as if the conversation between him and the blonde had not happened and had not been heard clear. “As I was saying, the Director left me in charge while he takes care of a few things in another branch. I don’t really have much to do for all of you, as I would be focusing on my research, so simply keep up the good job like you always do.”

“When will he come back?” Sakuya inquired, worried that the problem at hand might be a little too big and serious that the Director himself had to leave.

In Sakaki’s answer, there was found not even a hint of slight negativity. In fact, he almost appeared delighted that the man will be gone even only for a short time. “I’m afraid I’m not sure.”

“Is the branch in trouble?” Kota asked.

“Ah, no. It is not about the branch. But his reasons are... personal.”

“Personal,” Yuka repeated, as if trying to etch the word inside her head.

A few more exchanges went on and they finally left the doctor’s laboratory, convinced that the Far East Branch is in no tight situation and that there is nothing too big to worry about. The door slowly closed behind Sakuya, the voices of Kota, Alisa and Lenka resonating in their ears right before the room isolated itself from the rest of the facility. The blonde decided to be the first to break silence. “I think Soma knows where to find it now, too,” she said.

Sakaki leaned in, placing both elbows on his desk top.

Their point of interest is all the same, and their separate speculations lead to one thing. Even if their investigations had been done separately, all of them just points at a single answer. Of course she hasn’t seen any proof, but that weird tingle surfacing down in her gut was enough for her to push this through. They’ve been finding a shit ton of Aragami corpses in the temple area, far greater in number than what they usually come across.

“I’ve received reports of strange Oracle Cell activity in the same area too,” the doctor mused, extremely elated. “But those aren’t quite enough I’m afraid. I might have to ask you and Soma to do further investigations. Don’t worry! There are plenty of things that will keep the rest of the unit occupied.”

“Are we luring it out?”

“That might be the best option, yes.”

Yuka’s lips pursed to a straight line, and she averted her gaze from the doctor to the floor. Her mind whirled back to the events of their last special assignment, and her heart felt like it was being crumpled inside her chest. There was still uncertainty if the area they found was truly the Singularity’s former nest and if Lindow... She forced herself to swallow. After a while of silence, she found her composure and lifted her head up, only to whip it to the direction of the door.

Lenka took a step inside, giving his blonde senior a polite nod before taking strides towards Sakaki’s desk. Before the clutter of papers and under the illumination of four computer screens, the disc landed. “You dropped it yesterday, Doctor,” he said.

Sakaki had his back turned on them, busy examining the scroll hanging right on the wall. “I’m so sorry. So you picked this up for me? I owe you one.” His smile was directed at the relaxed New-Type who nodded in response. “Needless to say, you didn’t watch it, did you?” Both God Eaters present tensed. “It’s nothing, really. Just memories from my youth.”

Yuka snorted under her hand.

“Oh wait,” the doctor then said, as if he had not heard the blonde’s reaction. “I’m glad you’re here. The thing is, I have a favor to ask of you.” His gaze wandered over to the blonde, whose face immediately twisted to a scowl. “I’d like you to obtain the core of a certain Aragami.”

Verdant eyes watched any more of the senior God Eater’s reaction. Yuka still wore that disapproving scowl, arms crossed over her chest. Despite this, Sakaki continued, “The Director asked me to assign this task while he’s away.” Lenka lowered his head. “No one needs to know about this, especially not the Director or your advisor.”

“B-But why?” He asked.

In split second that he had removed his eyes from the professor, he had ‘warped’ right in front of him, his nearness going beyond the definitions of invasion of privacy. He was hovering above him, far beyond what he’d always been comfortable, and Lenka instantly took a step back. The doctor seemed not to mind the closeness, and only continued to speak, “You see, I’ve already asked Soma and Yuka for the same favor... And I’m certain that the three of you taking care of this matter will produce beyond splendorous results.” The smile he wore exceed the descriptions of creepy and nerving, the poor boy nearly thinking his heart had just leaped off his chest in utter nervousness.

Thankfully, much to his relief, the doctor pulled back. “If I recall, you’ve just been promoted to Leader, haven’t you? Congratulations.”

“Th-Thank you very much,” he stuttered, and Yuka chuckled.

“I’m curious,” Sakaki then said, causing the subject to shift. “Have you ever heard of the Mánagarm Project?” Lenka caught sight of Yuka stiffening in her spot but relaxed almost immediately. That’s right. That’s right. There was nothing to worry about. Lenka has a fairly good grasp of the said project; Yuka had oriented him. Sadness surfaced in the blonde’s blue eyes. “I have to tell you, there was nothing elegant about that experiment...” He glanced at Yuka, whose head hung low, now counting the dust collecting on the couch inside the laboratory. “I even lost a few dear friends.”

Lenka blinked.

“And the children, who were left behind, especially Soma, may be shouldering that negative legacy all on their own...”

“I’m right here,” Yuka glared.

“Of course,” the doctor acknowledged. “And I myself... I am the one of those whose actions warranted Soma’s hatred.”

Yuka was now drawing doodles on the furniture with her index finger. “Be thankful I’m a forgiving soul,” she segued.

Sakaki appeared to be like a parent figure, sanctioning every rambling from the blonde, whose existence and attention seemed to be drifting far from their plane. She had written Soma’s name repeatedly on the couch, barely readable with the thin layer of dust. “Yes, I am forever grateful.” With those, his attention returned to Lenka. “I’d like it if you could somehow befriend Soma... Please.” It sounded like an extremely huge and heavy request, almost impossible. Sure there had been some kind of progress back when they were setting up one of the guiding devices, but after that, well, things hadn’t gone good. Soma was still Soma. Nevertheless, he chose to accept the challenge. “One last thing, if it isn’t much of a bother. Yuka, if you are done sketching grotesque faces of Soma, come over here.”

And she was, leaving a ‘chibi’ version of said male God Eater with a moustache drawn above his mouth. There were also angry marks on top of his head. Lenka stifled a laugh, just as the blonde marched towards the desk. “This mission is named Hematite Rose.”

Not a single muscle on her face made a movement, even only a slight twitch. “Oh, okay.” Her tone was flat, and her eyes stared straight at the doctor.

“Now, don’t throw a hissy fit—”

“I’m not throwing a hissy fit.”

“She’s not throwing a hissy fit,” Lenka agreed with a nod.

Sakaki seemed to be pleased with it, and he returned to his seat. His hand travelled across the desktop and took the disc that was nearly forgotten. “As I was saying, Hematite Rose involves eradication of a Borg Camlann and a Vajra located in the city area. They are quite a handful, so I am requesting immediate retaliation so that some of our activities can finally move forward.” At every word the doctor had said with a calm smile, Yuka bore no reaction, as if she had locked herself away from any kind of expression the conversation might warrant from her. “The team would be the two of you—” This time, she forced her lips from twisting even to the smallest scowl. “—and Soma.” She lost. “Take this as an opportunity, Yuka.”

“Roger.”

She had saved the hissy fit after they were out of the branch and were prepping up in the field.

Yuka urged herself to stay calm despite the constriction in her chest and the tears daring to make her look pathetic as fuck. Her insides felt like they were ready to burst, but she held her ground, glaring angrily at the hooded male who stood in a distance so close and so tempting to whack him in the head with the God Arc she held. Soma was literally four steps away from her, and holy heavens, she wanted so bad to erase that equal glare he was returning to her. “This is your idea, isn’t it?”

She received a small snort in response, as the white-haired male occupied himself with organizing his inventory. This was far from a jerk move—this is clearly a dick move. Soma putting her up for this mission is simply him being a dick to her. What the fuck did she do this time for him to actually do this? Amongst everyone in the unit—in the branch—he’s the _only_ person who’s well aware of how her first Hematite Rose ended.

Lenka, the supposed middleman he didn’t know he was, finally descended the copter, approaching the two God Eaters. Though, he cautiously stayed in a safe distance from them, as if trying to read the atmosphere and seeing if declaring a mission start would be a pretty wise act. As always, it was a hard choice.

“You can’t tell me to forget about what happened, not blame myself and simply move on if you cannot even do it yourself,” Soma snorted, pocketing a handful of pills. “Hypocrite.”

The last word was affronting. Her face held an offended look for a few good seconds, but eventually melted away under his cold stare. The blonde’s lips fell to a slight pout, and in a defeated voice, weakly mumbled, “Fine. I am not telling you that again.” Her arms crossed over his chest, and Lenka heaved a sigh. “But...” Her glare returned. “I sure hope someone gets slaughtered real well again. Why don’t we go and invite the entire team so they could join this fray?” Her heart drummed so loud against her crumbling chest that she could almost hear it echoing inside her ears. It wasn’t what she meant to say, especially not with Lenka within earshot. She didn’t mean to make him feel nervous or tensed or afraid or worried. She should have kept her mouth shut, like what Soma tells her to do every damn time. But the words wouldn’t stop. “At least we’d both be carrying the guilt this time and you could call it truce.”

Soma would have made a jab at her, but the raven-haired New-Type spoke first, garnering both of their attentions. “It’s best we get going,” Lenka told them, looking over at the silently arguing pair. The veteran male snorted and went ahead.

Disregarding her consistent yammering and furious grumbling, she looked pretty damn fine and normal to him. Soma didn’t recognize any signs of traumatic disorder similar to the ones Alisa displayed, and he frowned. Their scouting hadn’t made it very far when Yuka, trailing quite far behind from the two males, stopped, her last step landing a wee bit too loud than she planned. He huffed, both their eyes now on her. She raised that irritated look again, and glared. “Nothing’s here. Let’s just go home.” Underneath that thick layer of frustration and anger coating her voice, a little hint of pleading found a way to tug at his heart.

“Let’s split up,” suggested Lenka. “We’ll cover larger ground that way. Yuka-san could come with me.” It was a good thing this kid is taking his job seriously. His eyes traveled to the blonde who looked slightly startled. “Since there are two of us, we should take the area to the right.” At least Soma was saved from enduring her continuous whines and silent begs. He didn’t want to snap at this kind of situation. Yuka simply nodded in response to the given orders.

That’s the story of how he ended up alone, investigating this side of the old city. There was nothing there, as expected, but that didn’t prevent him from keeping his guard up. The irregularities in Aragami behavior never really faded away, and the fact that the Singularity can be lurking around did the very least in making him feel any less relieved. Soma stood, enjoying the unusual silence of the place. So far, so good. For the past minutes, he had been waiting for some kind of distress call from Utsugi, shouting for help or anything because the blonde senior mentally broke down right after the two Aragamis made an appearance. That would be his cue, but there was nothing. Nothing but him, and this silence, this empty old place, his God Arc—and the _fucking bastard_.

“You know, it doesn’t sound so bad,” she snickered. “I heard Kota had been complaining about how your rations do not really cut to your job description.”

He grunted. This isn’t what he needed right now—words of fucking wisdom from this greedy fucker. Right now, the best option he had was to ignore her, pretend that she wasn’t there, tainting the serenity of this place solely with her presence. It was supposed to be easy—it would have been easy if C’s mouth had been duct taped shut. For the most part, Soma allowed her to speak as she wished. There was nothing much he could do anyway.

“In fact, it sounds absolutely delish. Knowing you, I’m sure you would take a fancy on it. _‘Yuka-on-a-stick’_ , how does that appeal to you?” She snickered, but Soma didn’t stir. C knew that it would take more than those simple words for the dark-skinned God Eater to acknowledge her presence. She would have to gamble and pour a lavish amount of oil into the fire. She has to make sure her fire would be big and powerful enough to scorch him. “My bad, it should have been _‘Yuka-skewered-by-a-Borg-Camlann-needle’_ but it sounds like a terrible name for a quick munch.” And she belted out a laugh.

Soma strode forward, pretending to be uninterested, unnerved, but in reality, C’s words had images swirling inside his head. The whole picture began to exist in his head, and he was willing at his subconscious to stop. It had flashed in his head before, when they told him a Borg Camlann attacked the research team. When they told him she was with the research team.

“Quite sad, no?” C continued with a snicker. “The childhood friend, the apple of the eye, the love of the life—” Another laugh. “—and yet you have not even a single idea what really happened in Hematite Rose years ago.”

He snorted. “And you think you do?”

“Of course!” She squealed. “I was there, Moonboy. You’d be surprised to know how easy it is to tinker with the human mind. Give a little of this, a little of that, and you’ll feed on the belief that a group of fourteen to sixteen year old God Eaters had been slaughtered helplessly by two large Aragamis.”

The corner of his eye twitched, and he turned to face the taunting presence. C was rocking on her heels, madly grinning up at him with her furry hood shadowing the entirety of the mask on her face. “Oh, but you’re probably not interested, anyway. Maybe Yuka is—” She was about to make a dash for the other side of the field but was abruptly stopped by Evil One blocking her path.

Soma’s eyes narrowed down at C, and yet his lips remained pursed to a straight line. He doesn’t care of what C desires as the end-product of her little games, or why her sick amusement needs to be fulfilled through inhuman torture, but his instincts were practically yelling at him that she should not slip from his sight, not even only for a small second. The pale girl’s grin grew bigger and even more devious. His gaze demanded at her to go on.

C almost laughed the third time, but instead, she kept her grin. “Let’s just say, before you came into view, Flower was unstoppable.” She seemed to re-think her words right after they rolled off her tongue, and hurriedly corrected herself, “Almost unstoppable.” She noted the fact that he wasn’t fazed, and C figured as much, considering he’d seen similar accidents himself. But those incidents, Soma had been there. His presence alone stimulates and unnamed resonance within the female God Eater—perhaps it was the strange bond they shared, C doesn’t really know, for humans and their silly bonds still confuse her up to this point. The delightful thing is, they aren’t exactly aware of it.

“Almost,” Soma repeated, his teeth gritted tight.

C shrugged. “Well, Yuka isn’t exactly a god to be completely invulnerable.” She wanted to take her teasing a step further by dropping a _‘yet’_ at the end of her last sentence, but the jagged teeth of his blade crept upwards until they were grazing the skin on her throat. “Okay, okay, back to the story,” she huffed, glaring slightly at the male. “You see, there aren’t many talented people who can rein on her as much as you do. Her former team... they didn’t really have any idea, so you could take a guess on what happened.”

He lowered his weapon. “You don’t say...” And yet, he refused to believe it—for all he knows, she could be making things up. It could be a trap she’s luring him into.

“I didn’t say a thing.” The pale girl shrugged once again, pushing away the blade from her neck, before spinning around with her arms held wide. The grin had returned to her face. “So, did you put one plus one together so far?” Her grin widened, as if she was expecting for him to answer a ‘two’ like a good kid. “Well, Moonboy?”

He was puzzled, but Soma refused to let that expression surface by glaring sharply at her. “What the hell are you getting at now?” His teeth pressed against each other tightly as his fingers adjusted and tightened their grip on the handle of his God Arc. “I swear I’d kill you if you plan to cause a mess.”

The pale girl held back a squeal. She wouldn’t want to risk losing the other’s temper. Not just _yet._ Instead, she settled for three questions. “Could you?” C smiled lightly. “Would you?” It grew to a malicious, devilish grin. “ _Will you?_ ”

“Stop messing around!” Soma finally allowed his voice to boom through a yell, just as he heard C snicker. “You’re derailing the conversation! What about Yuka?!”

Her laughter threatened to slip past her lips. It was delightful, entertaining—C urged some control into herself before the whole ordeal becomes _too_ intoxicating for her. Oh no, it would cause such a mess; a mess planned for another day.

“Now, you’re interested, are you not?” With a sigh, she looked up to meet his irritated eyes, and threw her hood back. The teal hair and grey horns became visible underneath the rays of sunlight peeking from behind the tall buildings. “Looking like a monster doesn’t make you one.”A soft mechanical _clack_ registered to his ears after C had reached for her mask, and the image underneath revealed itself to the male. “Acting, on the other hand, does the job just fine. Don’t you think so, son of Fate?”

“W-what are... you?”The sight he witnessed unfold before him clearly had the male taken aback. “What is the meaning of this?”

She lifted an index finger and pointed at her face. “This? Oh, this is nothing,” she giggled. “Just the result of a mere bite from a radioactive Sariel.”

“CUT THE CRAP!” His voice thundered once more.

“Seems like you can’t understand jokes.” C went as far as faking a hurt expression, her lips pressed together to a pout. “But what do I expect? It is your usual self.” She spun the black mask around her palm in a lazy manner, as the other continued to glare daggers right at her. “I just wanted to show you how wrong you are, labeling yourself as a monster. Only because you’re unlike anyone else?”The hurt face she was faking seconds ago had vanished into thin air, just as she chuckled. “That would simply make you unique, something that others would be dying to achieve.”

“Enough of your games. You know something about Yuka.” Soma growled, edging one step closer as he raised his weapon to once again threaten the small, pale female. His eyes were dangerously sharp, and his voice dropped just for the sake of making his threat effective. “You always know something of importance. There is no way you do not know what is going on.”

“That’s my job as an information broker, don’t you think?” She flashed a toothy grin, and went to slowly place the mask back to her face. The hood was pulled up once again, concealing nearly half of her face underneath the fabric, horns, hair, mask and all. “So, tell me, Moonboy. Watching and not being able to see; listening, however, not being able to hear; touching, but not having the chance to feel, and finally; speaking, yet not having the chance to talk. Familiar, isn’t it?”

Soma was beginning to lose his cool. He only wanted for C to get straight to the point, so that he could make his fucking leave for the other side of the place. Besides, the continued silence of the old city was beginning to stir worry deep inside him.

But despite that, a part of him wished to hear every bit of information she has to say. “Didn’t I tell you to stop the mind games already?” He growled out again in a simple response.”

At that very moment, even C snapped. “Are you _fucking_ retarded?! Do you even realize that what you are going through is nothing compared to Flower’s?!”

... nothing...?

What does Yuka even know what he’d been through? She made friends wherever she went—she didn’t have to go through the pain of being avoided and never being able to explain why. Others looked up to her because she did well. She grew up with a father that was the complete antonym of his. Her life turned better because of her little involvement to the whole God Arc study.

He wished to scream all those out. He wished to rub it right on the fucking bastard’s face. He wished to let it out of his chest, until he was left with no more insecurities or envy or worry. He just wanted to be an empty shell with no ability to feel, with no ability to get hurt by the judgmental words of people. And yet—after every bit of emotion destroying him internally, he only allowed three words to come out of him: “What about her?”

“It seems that there are idiots out there that are _too fucking_ dumb to understand even if they see, hear and talk about problems,” growled the pale girl back, her teeth clenched hard. The most annoying thing out of all is having to deal with people who still refuse to grasp the answers served before them in a silver platter. “So what if you are a son of the Mánagarm Project? Have you forgotten who else was present?” C dared to close the distance between them, until she stood a step away from the dark-skinned God Eater, and jabbed a finger hard at his chest. “That’s right, she was! Yet, here you are, treating her like, what?!”

His throat ached. Something was crumbling inside of him at every word that C spilled. It wasn’t that he was forgetting her involvement in that project. It wasn’t that he was casting her aside. In fact, she was the one he held onto throughout those years. But he would _never_ admit that, even to himself.

C noticed his silence and the internal struggle visible in his eyes. “Vajra got your tongue?” She finally asked, seeing him stir from his trance. But then, the only response she received was a murderous glare and inhuman growls. “It didn’t work out that good now, did it? But you know nothing of that, left her behind and became a God Eater. If it weren’t for you, Flower wouldn’t be here at all...”

 _Here? In the Den? The Far East? On this world?_ His eyes clearly held the questions. “How is Yuka...?” He finally managed once his voice returned. “How is Yuka connected to all this?” If it weren’t for him... Yuka is not... Soma paused. Wouldn’t that be a good thing? Wouldn’t that keep her away from the dangers of being a God Eater? From the pain brought by the world to someone who is different?

Or did he make it even worse for her?

He was craving for an answer. He needed to know what C’s words meant. It doesn’t matter if she had to rub it in his face and yell at him for it. He was _hungry_ for that answer. The area fell into silence, and the pale girl stood there, waiting for anything to come from the male.

When Soma remained shut, she decided to push forward. “She’s here—breathing, alive—because you are, literally, her last straw. You are her driving force, her motivation.” When the reaction she received was only his lips falling open at their slightest, and a stare of disbelief, C had to hold back the desire to head butt him to oblivion. It was fucking tiring, to explain every single statement, every single word to the man standing in front of her. “You seriously think Yuka sticks this close to you because she wants to be every bit of annoying?” Humans are confusing. “You seriously think she’s been doing it for her own entertainment?” Humans are pathetic. “She’s inseparable from you because you are her final lifeline. Yuka survived this long—endured this long because of longing, and that is exactly what drove her to make every attempt to be reunited with you.” And that is why humans are extremely easy to manipulate. That is why humans are fun.

Soma was still at a loss, and C was close enough to killing him to end all this. It was then that she decided giving up on explaining was the best option for her to take. A palm pressed against her forehead in utter defeat, the pale girl simply continued with her story.

“You are the son of Mánagarm, which you can never deny. But Yuka isn’t only its daughter, but of IRIS as well.” The familiar word caused his head to snap up almost instantly.

That’s impossible, because the final report of IRIS he found clearly said that the project had been terminated after zero success. It was a flop. In addition to that, Yuka’s name was never mentioned in any document pertaining to IRIS—not even the name C loves referring her as.

“Have you ever wondered why Flower wields Knightfall? How did she ever come to possess it? Or how Alyssum linked to all this? Not to mention that Lotus Boy?”

Soma’s brows furrowed in an attempt to remember where the names had came from. The last one he wasn’t very familiar of but Alyssum—Alyssum was one of the subjects for IRIS.

_Subject code: Alyssum._

Lotus. Lotus. He searched the back of his head, every corner, every inch for a mention of a subject coded as Lotus, but he was empty. He was empty and at the same time, a total mess.

Lotus. Lo—

Lenka. Utsugi Lenka.

His own self growing desperate for an answer, he reached out to the closest conclusion he could make in such a disheveled state. Utsugi was Lotus. Then Alyssum. Alyssum. The subject named Alyssum could only be—

Alisa. Their team’s very own Alisa.

“New-Types?” This time, he allowed his puzzled expression to surface. “I... I fail to see the connection to all this.”

He would accept C calling him a dumbass just so she would explain every word to him. But it was not what he was granted. Instead, the pale girl chose to ignore him. “Hematite Rose, two years ago,” she began. “Yuka was already doing great. There’s the lack of experience and the constant slip-ups, but hard work and perseverance were all that it took to earn her a leader status and build a team of her own. And that, to tell you, was just barely a year after she was transferred to Central Europe. You should have seen her team—no, her family. Victor, Addison and Eustace.” She even counted the names on her fingers, watching the expression break on the male’s face. “Sure, they were rookies and all, but capable and destined to learn from the best. All New-Types nonetheless.”

His eyes grew wide. “That’s impossible!” He barked. “New-Type God Arcs had only been released nearly not even a year ago. The European branch—or any other branch for that matter—could not have a hand on any of those while the God Arcs are still in their development stage.” He had to fight hard against the urge to strangle C with his bare hands. This bastard had been fooling around, he knew it!

But Soma was silenced by a single word, “Prototypes.”

The dangerous, unstable Prototypes.

“Why... are you telling me this?”

“Because things went sour in the worst possible moment, during a certain mission.” Her voice grew darker, and every bit of Soma’s attention was on her. “Problem is... no one knew, since Flower was... _special_. Not to mention that up to that point, everything seemed peachy. Smooth.”

The dark-skinned male allowed every single word of C to sink in. “Problem...?” He repeated, more to himself than to C. “Did she...?”

Apparently, C’s teasing side made a return. “Aww~” She cooed. “How cute. You _do_ care for her after all.” It even ended with a small giggle, to which Soma simply glared back. “But do not fret. It wasn’t like Flower lost it and killed them in absolute, blind rage. Oh no, quite the contrary actually. If she had not lost it, she wouldn’t have lived to tell the tale.”

“W-what...? You bastard. You aren’t making any sense.”

“Just give thinking a few seconds. I know you’re smart, Moonboy,” gloated C, her voice overflowing with so much taunting tone. That devilish grin of hers had plastered itself back to her sickening face. “Have you ever wondered why she became mentally scarred from that mission? Sure, having a Borg to come join a Vajra would complicate things, but those three—kids that they were—have been able to deal with that one. In fact, they were great!” She turned back to Soma, who had fallen absolutely silent. “Have you figured it out yet, hm?”

The male frowned to himself. “If she... if she didn’t go berserk, then that means...” Soma tried to recall everything Yuka had told them about the prototypes. He wasn’t familiar with them, but he’d known enough to jump into a single conclusion. “... her team did?”Blue eyes glazed over the pale female’s giggling appearance. “That was the problem, wasn’t it? Just as what Yuka said. In the middle of that mission, the prototypes went unstable. They were the ones that went out of control.”

 _“_ _Their God Arcs devoured them._ _”_ Yuka’s words flashed back in his head.

C seemed to be pleased with the way his mind finally geared to work. “And what is the duty of a leader, if I may ask?”

He swallowed. “To take down any God Eater that lost control over their selves,” he answered, nearly in silence. Is that what happened in her first Hematite Rose?

Perhaps that was also why Yuka just cared so much for Utsugi and Alisa. They were New-Types, just like her, and even though they wield no prototypes like she does, they bear very little differences to the team she had and lost.

Has he been the insensitive prick all this time?

“Is that what’s been scaring her?”

“Oh, no. Of course not,” the pale girl giggled once more. “Perhaps subconsciously, because Yuka doesn’t remember what really happened back then. It would burst her brains out if she—or anybody forces her to remember. The whole they-got-slaughtered-by-the-two-Aragamis story? _That_ is what she was made to believe, to think.” A faint ‘Then what?’ emanated from the white-haired lad’s lips. “Figure that out yourself, Moonboy. Time’s up.” She lifted a hand, pointing and grinning at the back of the God Eater. “I think you’re invited to dinner.” She laughed. “Too bad, you’re the one on the menu.”

His reflexes kicked into gear, and he raised his shield, completely unprepared for the impact.


	35. A Slow Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Saving her?” C mused to herself. The idea sounded ridiculous in her opinion, but then again, she’d seen even more ridiculous moves by humankind. She belted out a laugh—an overreacted laugh solely from the thought, doubling over with a hand pressed against a stomach. “That sounded nuts, didn’t it?” But her laughter was cut off as Soma grabbed her by the neck in one swift move, pressing her against the wall in such force that the space where her head laid flat against bore a dent.  
> His gaze was deadly. “There is a way, isn’t there?”  
> It was new, for the God of Death to be desperate on knowing how he could save a person’s life. It was not Soma at all. Is he changing? What a shame. When C pointed the subject out, his fingers around her neck tightened their grip, nails nearly digging into the stark white skin. He’s changing and he doesn’t even want to admit it, she figured. “Yuka had said it herself. Not even the greatest angel could save a soul that’s already in too deep in hell."

He managed to save himself from the Borg Camlann’s needle jab, but the impact it brought to his shield swept the male God Eater off his balance. Soma stumbled backwards—the area was dangerous. Not simply because the large scorpion Aragami was nearly covering the entirety of the area, but also because the edge of the city area was cut off from the rest of the ground.

Maybe it was an earthquake. Or maybe—he doesn’t have time to think! Soma tried to regain his balance, but the Aragami spun with its tail stretched outwards, and he lost it. He fell off that cliff, angrily grunting to himself.

It would be a deep fall. He breathed out a ‘Shit’.

Hanging from the edge of that cliff with only one hand, while the other kept a tight grip on the handle of hid God Arc—why does it seem to grow heavy in his hand now? He was stuck in that state, when the comm-link hooked on his ear began to buzz.

“I kind of forgot to tell you,” she began, her voice as devious as ever. “You’re going to have a full platter yourself to worry about.” A soft snicker. “And very soon, if I might add.” Just that and the line died out.

“Fucking bastard,” he hissed, kicking himself to a swing and hauling himself up. It didn’t quite work the way he expected it, but at least he managed to place Evil One flat on the ground. That was a heavy weight he successfully removed from his shoulders. The Borg Camlann’s loud shrieks registered to his ears, creating a messy rhythm with powerful gunshots and little bits of slashing and crushing sounds. After a while, the ground shook momentarily, and his grasp slipped.

It is a deep fall.

It would have been, if he had not felt a hand tight around his wrist. “Soma-san!”

For years, he cared less about dying. In fact, if he could help it, he’d always be the one to dive head on to the open arms of death. It was the only ticket he found to escape this damn world. It was a one-way ticket, but definitely worth it. Dying is the sole solution to his endless string of problems.

He was there, once again given the option to live or die—freely, this time, for this endless fall will surely sneak his final breath. No wounds that would heal. Just death. He could simply let Utsugi’s hold on him to slip, and it will be over. But C’s voice came to him, as if she was speaking right on his comm-link again. _“_ _If it weren_ _’_ _t for you, Flower wouldn_ _’_ _t be here at all._ _”_

_“_ _You were her driving force, her motivation._ _”_

With a grunt, he lifted his other hand and grappled the New-Type’s arm, before he ordered Lenka to pull him up.

At this moment, dying isn’t exactly an option right now.

Especially not for him.

Soma had barely even gathered himself when he was pushed back down on the ground. Yuka pressed her face against his chest, throwing her arms around his torso and her fists balling into the fabric of his blue jacket. She said no word and simply held him tight, like a little child afraid to be lost in a crowd again. Soma could feel every single curve of her face she hid in his chest—her forehead right on his collarbones, the bridge of her nose tracing the middle of his rib cage, and her lips leaving rapid but ghostly breaths on the fabric of his shirt across his chest. The sporadic beat of her heart drummed and echoed throughout his chest. He felt her fingers adjust their grip on his back at the slightest, but apart from that, they remained. Lenka was silent as well, staring down at them. Even the dark-skinned God Eater was at a loss of words, not entirely sure on what would be the best act to do. These two—but mostly Yuka probably—had taken down the Borg Camlann in only a few hits.

Yuka still clung to him, her fingers and shoulders shaking at the slightest. “ _Liebe..._ ” He said softly, letting his nose brush against her golden locks. He wasn’t a person to comfort another, and he’d rather leave them alone to melt away, but after hearing that entire C had to say...

He was a puddle deep inside, and deciding what he should do isn’t his head’s top priority.

Just as her breathing began to grow shallow, sharp blue eyes looked up at the male New-Type. “What happened?”His fingers found comfort entangling themselves in between strands of her hair.

“We’ve been trying to reach your radio,” their Leader began. “But you were pure static, and Yuka-san was getting really worried.” What? His radio had been free up until C disappeared. Soma frowned to himself. That bastard herself must have cut off the communication. “When the Vajra and the Borg Camlann appeared, I...” His gaze stiffened. “I had to break her a little. It nearly cost me my life, but that was better than both of us dead.”

His eyes returned to the figure that held him close, showing no sign of desire to let go. Yuka was still shaking, but at least her breathing had returned to normal, and the rapid thundering of her heart had stopped drumming against the silence of his chest.

“She struck the Vajra straight at the core,” the other male continued. “But the Borg managed to run away.”

That pretty much catches him up. The Borg Camlann, in its desperate attempt to flee and regain strength, found him in an unguarded state and attacked.” _Est id in Ordnung, liebe,_ ” he whispered softly in her ear, with the gentlest tone his voice could make. A short pause, and she pulled out two consecutive deep breaths. Her fingers finally loosened their grip on his jacket, leaving noticeable crease marks on the fabric, but her arms remained around his torso, and Soma didn’t bother pulling away only for a bit.

He might really have been the insensitive prick all this time.

“You’re okay...” She mumbled.

“I’m okay,” he repeated to assure her.

She might not have remembered the true events of her first Hematite Rose, but the longer Soma sat there with her in heavy breaths and soft mumbles, he could recognize how genuine her fear is. The way her fingers sweat and shook, and those shaky breaths of hers proved that Yuka was scared beyond she could usually handle.

His questions about IRIS and her involvement in said project could wait. It could wait, until she’s stable. It could wait.

His hand dragged itself down through those strands of wavy blonde hair, finally resting on her shoulder to give her a slight nudge. She stirred and leaned back slightly, and her woven fingers laid flat on the small of his back. She was as much of a mess as his mind is; her hair nearly covered the entirety of her face, lips dry and dull blue eyes peeking from in between the strands. Lenka had decided to walk away from them, pretending that watching the predator of his God Arc devour and scavenge the Borg Camlann’s corpse was a more interesting scene to watch than them. After a while, he moved deeper into the building and Soma did nothing to call out to or even stop him. “Are _you_ alright?” He then asked.

The blonde before him let out another deep sigh, before slapping both sides of her cheek with her palm. The skin grew red in an instant, and by the time her eyes opened up from being tight shut, the radiance in them had slowly began to return. Yuka peered up at him from underneath those mess of hair. “I am,” she answered. “Sort of, but I can definitely drive us home.” Her shoulders dropped down though, dragged by gravity, and soon her entire body did, boneless leaning on his chest again to keep herself upright. “Okay... Do you think Lenka would mind sitting behind the wheel?”

“I don’t think he would,” came his reply.

She hummed softly, vibrations reaching his skin and making it tingle underneath the fabric of his clothes.”The mission’s cleared without snitch, but... I don’t really feel that accomplished. I wonder why...?”

Perhaps because she doesn’t know what exactly to feel accomplished about. Soma began to wonder why he came up with this idea in the first place. Even if she did finish this Hematite Rose smoothly, it wouldn’t bring back the lost life of her team. It wouldn’t erase the part of her history that she had to put them down with her own hands. It wouldn’t fix what the loss had broken within her.

Yuka would forever be carrying the guilt in her subconscious, and Soma will shoulder his own for not telling her.

“I think it’s about time we head home,” Lenka’s voice reached their ears, as he swayed from the vicinity of the decaying Borg Camlann. His gaze flittered towards the pair. “If... that’s good with the two of you.” The blonde female was the first to rise up in wobbly feet, but then she succumbed to the weakness of her limbs to fall on top of Soma, who was about to stand up as well. Her laughter filled the air, and her head dropped down on his shoulder. “Uhm...” She was still laughing at the crook of his neck. “Piggyback ride? I can’t really feel my legs.”

A small smile graced the younger New-Type’s lips at hearing Soma grunt, a solid refusal to giving in to her childish behavior. “I’ll carry Evil One for you,” she bargained, and Lenka stifled a chuckle.

* * *

 

It had been days since the Hematite Rose mess, but his questions regarding IRIS were still hanging in mid-air. It was annoying, in all honesty, because fate seems to side with Yuka and every possible chances of cornering her to an inquiry had been foiled. She even received extreme guarding from Alisa, who threatened to punch him square in the face if he tries again—really scary, he almost ran with tail between his legs.

This wouldn’t be such a stressful problem in his part if he hadn’t heard those words from C, but it was bothering him and every time his gaze catches sight of her, the questions would run back to his head.

_What is IRIS all about?_

_What do you know about it?_

_Is it dangerous?_

_Why are Alisa and Utsugi involved?_

_Does it connect to the New-Type God Arcs in some way?_

_Why are you involved in it?_

_Why does C call you a daughter of IRIS?_

And lastly,

_Why aren_ _’_ _t you telling me?_

He scowled to himself, hands balling into fists inside the pockets of his jacket. The male made his way out of the elevator and found her heading straight to where he had just come from. On her hands was a board, and he was damn sure it had the name of a mission written on top of it. “Oh, hey.” Her face lit up in an instant.

Soma still had that scowl plastered on his lips, but that didn’t stop her own from stretching upwards to a smile, the corner of her eyes crinkling.

 _Tell me,_ the suppressed voice in his throat spoke.

Her mouth parted to speak, but he heard none of those. His ears were deaf with a million questions he wished to let out, drowning out every word, every statement, and every sound coming from her. Though, he managed to work out the words ‘assignment’ and ‘alone’ from the way her lips moved.

_I want you to tell me._

Her blue eyes glittered underneath the bright lights illuminating the hallway. They were alive, and they seemed to hold the all of the universe in them. Her hand moved up to his face, lightly combing the fringes framing the face he hid underneath the hood. Did she say something about a haircut? He really can’t tell this time. She appeared to contemplate her own words, frowning slightly and shaking her head. So, does he not need a haircut after all? Doesn’t matter. The voice stuck in his throat had begun to scream in silence.

_I want you to tell me because you want to, not because I had to force you._

It was frustrating.

“Yuka.”

At the sound of his voice, she brought her hand down and stared up at him.

It was then that he pressed their foreheads together, taking the blonde in absolute surprise as her face grew red all over. He missed that sight though, his eyes hiding on purpose underneath those strands of hair. He refused to meet her gaze in fear that she will be able to read all the questions making his head more than the mess it already is.

_But please, tell me._

He didn’t know if those words managed to squeak out of his lips, or if they were visible in his own icy blue eyes, or if Yuka has the ability to read minds, but Soma flinched under her touch when the warmth of her fingers danced across both of his cheeks. Was he like an open book? Or was she just too good of a reader? He bit his lip, eyes twitching in frustration at his own incompetence.

He didn’t fancy the idea of her keeping secrets from him.

_I want to know._

“In due time.”Her voice reached him, and he brought his eyes to meet her own. The life in her eyes had gone down the drain. Her smile was stiff. _I just have to make sure you won_ _’_ _t be able to do anything at all._ He was almost afraid that was what her gaze meant to say.

He doesn’t want to know about it when it’s done. Not when he’s become powerless against the decree of fate. Not when he’s just forced to accept it. Not when it’s too late.

He wanted to know while he still can do something.

By the time Soma had gathered himself from the blow of those three words, Yuka had disappeared, fingers and all. Her smile hid from behind the closing bars of the section elevator before completely vanishing from his sight.

Inside him, something shattered to pieces like a fragile glass.

The first thing Paylor noticed about him was that his eyes appeared to contain every bit of hatred and frustration in the world. Soma brushed off the doctor’s words with a scowl, as he stepped into the laboratory without uttering even only a single word. As soon as he was only steps away from the desk, he was presented a board similar to the one he saw Yuka held. A different mission? He took the board and went through the contents. The top part of the board said ‘Carnage Feast’ and written not far below were four names in bold letters: Utsugi Lenka, Sergeant; Tachibana Sakuya, Medic Corporal; Fujiki Kota, Scout, and; Alisa Illinichina Amiella, Sniper. He wasn’t even included in the line-up. Why would the old man need to talk to him? Doctor Sakaki smiled gleefully up at him after he had voiced his concern. “Oh, you’re coming with me to supervise everything,” the older man answered. The ways his lips pulled up to that smile meant that whatever this is would be beneficial to his research.

“You could have asked Yuka,” he replied. And give him ample time to investigate IRIS.

Sakaki moved to arrange a few mess of papers on his desk. “A friendly suggestion was that I keep Yuka away from this certain task for the time being.” Hence, the special mission she has. “Are you worried?”

He decided to let the latter question pass. “It’s that fucktard’s idea, isn’t it?” If he finds out C goes out of her way to mess Yuka’s head again— “I’m going to fucking kill her.”

“There’s nothing to worry about, Soma. Yuka could very well handle her own.”

He knows that. He fucking knows that. But placing Yuka and C together in a situation had never bided well, especially for him. “Why would you want to oversee this mission?” The young man finally asked.

Paylor only laced his fingers together and gave him a smile of pure excitement. In the whirlwind of situation he is currently in, Sakaki had done nothing to ease him, but only fill his already bursting chest with dissatisfaction. He didn’t receive any kind of answer, as the doctor insisted to share the ideas only when his current goal had been achieved. It was as if he was leading them blindly into something.

Not like there was something he could do. Soma was not the kind to push people into things they do not want—unless of course it is C. The bastard is an entirely different and sickening matter.

And, well, Yuka.

Yuka is a force he had given up on fighting against. It was a useless attempt, and so, most of the time, he’d only let her do as she pleases, as long she doesn’t get in his way. After all, when she knows she can do something to get what she wants, nothing could stop her.

He found her leaning back on the couch, seated together with the rest of the team. Heck, she was the first one to take notice of his arrival, the others following not soon after. He didn’t bother returning the attention though, scoffing instead to himself and heading straight down the lobby. Hibari stood by the counter, discussing mission details with some rookie God Eater, but he paid them no attention and kept walking.

“Oh? You’ve been looking for me?” The sickening voice crept throughout his skin, stirring the long silent emotions of irritation from within. The voice of C alone boils his blood. “What a change of pace.”

He frowned, but still stood there in front of the pale girl, narrowed eyes keeping their sharp glares. She continued to ramble on and on, much to his greater irritation, saying how it had been different that he was the one in need of her. It wasn’t like he had a choice. His options had been singled out, and a piece inside him was afraid that time might be running out. _In due time,_ she said. She will tell him all about it in a time she believes is proper, but he doesn’t want it to be too late to do anything at all. Breathing out another curse at the smaller girl, Soma proceeded to speak, “I need a fucking answer, C.” Said girl perked up at the sound of her name, drawing a wide toothed grin across her face. “What is IRIS all about?”

Yes, he promised to wait for Yuka to share it to him of her own volition, but that would be _her side_ of the story. He needed the facts, the information, and the details. He needed the side of the story from someone who is less likely involved but is knowledgeable about it.

“Shouldn’t you be asking Yuka that?” The information broker snickered. “Has she not opened it all up to you yet?” C’s lips twisted to a fake pout. “What’s this? Does Flower not trust you enough?”

His glares grew sharper. Yuka _trusts_ him; they have established that since they were what, eight, nine? “C,” he glowered at her, to which the other cackled in delight.

“I see, I see.” C’s words came with pauses on various places, as she tried to calm herself down from the fit of laughter she’d subjected herself to. “Of course it isn’t that she doesn’t trust you, but rather, the idea of what you might possibly do scares her down to the her very core. You’re just as unpredictable as she is, and she’s afraid that a little bit of meddling could turn the whole situation to the worst case scenario. After all, she had everything finely mapped and planned out until the very end.”

“What is IRIS all about?” Soma repeated, voice dripping with venom. He didn’t come here to be played around by C. He didn’t want the bastard to make a fool out of him. What he came for is a hint on where he could start investigating. He wanted, he _needed_ a lead.

C’s expression grew devious. Her grin became a smirk, and she began, “IRIS.” Soma’s full attention returned to her, and C couldn’t be any more delighted that the son of Mánagarm himself had come to her on his own—to the palm of her hands. Human emotions, human bonds, human love—regardless of what kind it is; she doesn’t understand them, but they all had been making things even more entertaining for her. “The Hope Project. A foolish move by man, which only gives spark to even more foolish projects in the future.”

Soma should have known that C is nothing but useless. He should have known that she will do nothing to benefit him. Leaving is the best course of action, so that he wouldn’t have to hear C rambling to herself. She took notice of this, of course, and before the tall male before her could do anything, she knew she would have to keep him in his place with shock, like what she did back in the old city. Soma has to stay and listen.

“IRIS... is the pit of hell Ichinose Yuka had thrown herself into, just so that a certain someone wouldn’t be pushed into it. It is the endless pit where she continues to sink deeper, all for your sake.”

His sake...? Why would _he_ be involved in IRIS now? He hadn’t even heard about that until Yuka came along.

How could it be for his sake?

“Saving her?” C mused to herself. The idea sounded ridiculous in her opinion, but then again, she’d seen even more ridiculous moves by humankind. She belted out a laugh—an overreacted laugh solely from the thought, doubling over with a hand pressed against a stomach. “That sounded nuts, didn’t it?” But her laughter was cut off as Soma grabbed her by the neck in one swift move, pressing her against the wall in such force that the space where her head laid flat against bore a dent.

His gaze was deadly. “There is a way, isn’t there?”

It was new, for the God of Death to be desperate on knowing how he could save a person’s life. It was not Soma at all. Is he changing? What a shame. When C pointed the subject out, his fingers around her neck tightened their grip, nails nearly digging into the stark white skin. He’s changing and he doesn’t even want to admit it, she figured. “Yuka had said it herself. Not even the greatest angel could save a soul that’s already in too deep in hell.’

C choked out her next words, for Soma was insanely serious about crushing her neck under that metal grip of his. “Alright, alright. There is _one_ way.” He loosened his fingers, so as to allow the smaller female to speak clearly. “But it isn’t for you to do,” she continued. “It’s for my little accomplice.”

An accomplice? Soma scowled. No, he doesn’t trust C enough to leave Yuka’s life to her, or anybody she knows. He doesn’t trust her enough to accept this kind of assurance. But... does he have a choice?  He let the girl’s bare feet to touch the floor, and retreated his hand.

“You’re going to get yourself pretty occupied—very much occupied in the next weeks. I wonder if you’d even remember all these.”

He didn’t know what she meant, and he’d rather not figure it out.

“Also...” That same grin danced across C’s masked face. “... I can’t make a promise that she will live.”

* * *

Yuka was bothered.

Extremely bothered.

When in fact, she shouldn’t.

But that whole forehead-thing was a gesture Soma hadn’t done since they were children. They both grew up in the research facility, and she knows he wasn’t much of a person who fancied physical contact. He never liked hugs. Back then, when there was something wrong he had no desire to talk about, he would bump their foreheads together in silence. That small contact to him was enough bliss.

If other people found comfort in hugs and cuddles, it was where Soma found his.

Her eyebrows furrowed and met, her eyes just scanning through the text before her. Had C told Soma _anything?_ An unknown feeling slowly began to pool at the pit of her stomach. C can’t tell Soma even only a single hint. Heck, she’d tried so hard to keep him farthest away from IRIS for six years.

“Yuka...?”

C can’t just come around and ruin that.

She’s going to drag everything with her to her grave.

“Yuka.”

The light pinch on her arm forced her back to reality and the blonde jerked up, only to find everyone’s eyes on her. Kota, Alisa and Lenka blinked up at her in worry and confusion, while Sakuya has one hand resting on her forearm. “I was asking if you’re going to be alright on your own,” the Vice Captain told her. “You are going against a Vajra by yourself, after all.”

Blue eyes looked down at the papers on her clipboard, a shot of said large Aragami sitting on one corner of the paper on top. The information written clearly stated that the materials are the most vital requirement and the core only comes second. Huh, Dr. Sakaki had been requiring a lot of materials as of late.”I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’d bring with me a few of the—”

Sakuya pinched her in the forearm again. “Without resorting to _that_.”

“I’ll be fine,” the blonde assured her.

She’s actually more worried about how much Soma knows by now. His eyes held a different gaze on them, something unusual from the stone-cold Death God of the Far East.

What if C had told him that she was actually a part of IRIS?

Then again, if he knows that, he would have said something at least, something like “Just go fuck off and die.” But Soma was silent. And that bothers her more than having him question her.

“It’s time to go,” Lenka’s voice rose from the mix of others, and he stood up. “Is the plan clear to all of you?” He would have to make sure of this, since every mission could go to unexpected directions. The fact that another strong Aragami could join in the fray is not being set aside.

Alisa and Kota nodded in unison, and Sakuya followed shortly. Yuka watched them leave with a small sigh, their redhead gunner walking close to the female Old-Type, and his questions on customized bullets slowly drifted to silence in her ears. Her eyes returned to the paper. A couple of Zygotes and a Vajra, plus, Sakaki had made a request for a few more material salvage.

Picking up her board, the blonde made her way to the mission desk, where Hibari stood behind, enjoying a blissful cup of tea while encoding data with one hand. Yuka laid the clipboard atop the counter, and the redhead’s amber eyes turned towards her. “Hibari, can you confirm this information for me, please?” She asked, sliding the item towards the operator’s direction.

Short minutes of tapping and a screen flashed before blue eyes. “The details on your copy are one hundred percent accurate. Material gathering assignment as per the request of Dr. Sakaki. The targets are a Vajra and four Zygotes. Specific material scraps are also required as end products.” The operator looked up from the screen to her. “Is there something wrong? Are you going to turn back on it?”

“Ah, no. I was simply a bit puzzled since the location isn’t exactly familiar to me. But it looks like there’s no mistake. The area of assignment really is that unnamed zone sitting in between the carrier and temple area.” She slid two fingers across the smooth surface of the screen, enlarging the small-scale map. “Do we have an area map for this one or a background at least? I feel like I’m going to be waltzing into utter darkness.”

“Allow me to check in our database.”

Judging from the map, it appeared to be closer in proximity to the Tranquil Temple than the carrier. It meant that a slip-up happens, her Vajra, in only a few big leaps, could get to the temple area where Lenka’s team would be dealing with a Chi-You. She would have to prevent that and cut off possible escape routes for the Aragami.

“According to our data, a few civilians had been found in that location weeks back. It appeared that they had built a small settlement, as stated in the report we received. But...”

“But...?”

“Aragamis had been frequenting the areas as you know so...”

_There_ _’_ _s a possibility that they_ _’_ _ve been wiped out._

None of them shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, she was going to take down a Vajra. But if there was residency there back then, it could mean there are supplies. Scarce, yes, but maybe. She could use them if anything happens, in the hopes that there are still things left there.

“I’m going out.”

Apparently, it wasn’t just her who noticed the nearness of her location to the temple area. “Are you certain this isn’t just some mistake?” Alisa asked her. She understands her concern. Errors had occurred to them in the past and many—most, in fact, didn’t end too well. The blonde took the device from the Russian girl’s hand and slid it into one of the pouches hanging on her waist. “As it is in Kota’s vernacular, they could have merged it into a single mission, and all of us could go.”

“Bah, Mr. Hotshot still isn’t coming with us so it isn’t exactly all of us,” their redhead teen said. “Which reminds me! We keep missing Lenka’s party!”

The lad mentioned simply slumped his shoulders and sighed. “We don’t really have time to hold one though,” he told the other male.

Kota pouted slightly and crossed his arms. He climbed into the back of the jeep after their leader, and Alisa followed suit. In a short while, they were driving off to the horizon, small chattering being drowned out by the roar of the engine. Yuka sighed, placing Knightfall on the passenger’s seat. She would have to scout and set up traps in the area to make it easier for her, most especially since no one was able to provide her even a rough outline of the place. The only thing she knows about now is that it formerly was a refuge site to civilians rejected by Fenrir.

The handful of traps jingled at her back pouch, and it cost her spaces for restore pills she hopefully wouldn’t need later. She’s as good as unprepared.

Another soft sigh and she started the vehicle.

* * *

Kota was on the way of becoming a skilled trap master. The Chi-You flew straight into the snare trap he had set up before the avian Aragami could crash itself on him. The trap was triggered, enveloping the Chi-You in a faint yellow light, bars and bars of Oracle Cells traveling around the thin layer of spherical confinement so as to keep the Aragami in place.”Strike it hard!” Lenka’s voice boomed far louder than the Avian’s growls, as it continued to struggle against its binds. Consecutive blaze laser bullets blasted right to its head, all coming from the mouth of Sakuya’s sniper gun.

Alisa wasn’t doing bad either, and so was Lenka. They were all doing according to plan, simultaneously making attempts to break through the binds of Oracle Cells in the Chi-You’s torso area.

The trap was beginning to grow weak, thinning out slowly, and eventually broke after a powerful pound of large fists on its walls. There was a blinding flash of light, and Kota spat out the pin in between his teeth. Everyone took the few seconds to assault the stunned Aragami with all their might. The head was the first to break.

Lenka stepped in with two fast slashes, ending the combo with a rapid devour that tried to tear off a portion of the avian’s shoulder. Though, his attack did nothing more than scrape the skin and enrage their enemy further.

As the Aragami was to make the lunge at him, its fist was bombarded with a variety of ammunition, forcing its attention away from their unit leader. It was then that the three gunners scurried away from within the Chi-You’s attack range, as condensed bomb balls raged the air.

“It’s running away!” Alisa yelled.

“Chase it! Don’t let it out of your sight!” Lenka ordered.

“First Unit, come in!” The voice of Hibari cut through his earpiece and said man straightened, shifting his attention from the fleeing Aragami to the voice of their operator.

“What is it?”

Her voice sounded extremely alarmed. “There’s an unregistered Oracle Reaction closing in to your location in a rapid pace,” she said.”Be on high alert!”

“Can you determine what it is?” Sakuya asked, loading a couple of bullets into her sniper gun.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, a few seconds at most, before Hibari’s voice surfaced once more. “From the readings, there’s a high possibility that it is a large Aragami—”

“Is it a Vajra? A Vajra variant?!” It was Alisa.

“It’s a Vajra!” Kota shouted, getting his gun to work rapidly, just as the large quadruped beast leaped out from nowhere and startled nearly everyone to shock. It landed on its feet, and thankfully, ignored the four-man unit, as it turned around to where it came from to fire a large ball of electricity. Is it being chased? The First Unit took this opportunity to attack the Aragami that continued to paid them no attention, all four of them firing bullets after bullets to any of its weak points.

The thunder god’s attack though had been cut short as it was struck in the head with a powerful wave of crushing energy. It forced the Aragami to step back, nearly stepping on Alisa who dove in for a slice. The Russian managed to somehow avoid getting pancaked, jumping out of the way in reflex.

“I’ve been chasing after Soma for _eighteen_ years,” a familiar voice registered in their ears and they all perked up, lips turning up slightly at the bold declaration. “You aren’t anything special, so I’m not doing the same to you, you piece of shit.”

Kota giggled behind his hand. “Eighteen years? There sure is loyalty there.”

“Hush,” Sakuya told him. “A girl’s love knows no bounds.”

Another Charge Crush came, but the Vajra managed to successfully evade the attack, fleeing away from the group of God Eaters and its assailant. Hibari was up on them again. “Is everything alri— Oh, Yuka’s biometric signal—”

Their redhead didn’t let her finish. “Yeah, she’s here, boldly declaring her love to the winter winds.” Indeed, said blonde God Eater sprang up to the area, about to chase her target, if she had not noticed the presence of four of her team members. They were all smiling knowingly at her—except Kota. Kota was grinning wide.

Her face immediately flamed, and she mentally reminded herself that it is _stupid_ to just yell out there what she wishes to say.”It- It slipped,” she managed, though quite uncertain if it was the Vajra or her recent words that she was referring to. “You guys do your thing. I’ll make sure mine isn’t on the way.” Hiding her reddening face underneath locks of golden blonde hair, she made her way past the group and traced the tiger Aragami’s steps.

Just as her raging heart had began to calm down, another unsettling feeling shook in the pit of her stomach, sending chills running up and down her spine. Is she being watched? Yuka whipped her head towards the direction from where she came, but the team was out of sight. There were faint gunshots, meaning they had returned to their work. Despite the lack of assurance, the blonde moved forward, another crushing wave of power distracting the Vajra from feeding and it fell back, before baring its saber teeth at the unfazed God Eater.


	36. Moon on Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh, right, we shouldn't be chatting here like this... I'll explain everything in my lab. I apologize for keeping it from you all this time.” Sakaki stepped forward, and turned towards the girl that eyed them with curiosity beaming from her round eyes. “You... you'll come with us, won't you?”
> 
> The girl gave an enthusiastic nod at the doctor, chirping happily. “I'm ready to eat!”
> 
> “Huh...?” Soma cocked his head up at her.
> 
> “I was... ready to eat?”

_“_ _Doctor, do you know about the IRIS project?_ _”_

The way the professor's expression hardened upon hearing the question was still etched clearly in his memory. This was a heavy blow straight in the gut. Dr. Paylor Sakaki was the man he trusted more than his own father, and yet, here he was, keeping things from him that he should know about.

It had been minutes since Paylor avoided the question and returned his attention to the members of the First Unit, as the Chi-You they fought against fell to its knees and collapsed to a heap of corpse on the ground. “Soma,” the older male finally called out, pushing the glasses up the bridge of his nose. “You'll only hurt yourself trying to break into the wall of thorns she'd built.” A smile decorated the doctor's face, but he only found it the least bit soothing.

The unit now gathered around the Aragami's corpse, with Lenka preparing his God Arc to devour its core. Kota was looking at Sakuya's direction, mouth moving. Alisa joined the conversation shortly and afterwards shrugged. Sakaki watched them a few more minutes, before stepping in, “Hey, hold up!” He called out to the group, causing the team to drop their guard and turn towards the doctor in surprise. Soma trailed quietly behind him, eyebrows furrowed.

“Huh?” It was Sakuya.

“Doc, what are you doing here?” Their redhead gunner asked.

“I'll explain later,” was the only answer they received. “Just leave that Aragami alone, and come over here for a second, will you?”

Soma got equal confused stares from the others, but he simply decided to ignore them and follow the doctor back to where they had been hiding. After a moment of brief hesitation, the other four God Eaters stood in guard, as he kept a close watch of the Chi-You's corpse sitting in cold silence. “Do you know what this is about, Soma?” Sakuya whispered in question.

He snorted, not even paying the Vice Captain a single glance.

“It's coming!” Paylor almost squealed in delight, causing all of them to snap up.

Indeed, a small girl dressed in rags marched up to the Chi-You's corpse, staining her bare feet with the Aragami's blood. Soma kept close watch, confused and intrigued at the same time, as the figure climbed atop the dead Aragami's body and bent over it, back facing them. Hold on a second-

Is she _eating_ it?

As it was busy feeding on the Aragami corpse—as weird as it may have sounded—the team rushed forth, hoping to take the unnamed creature by surprise. Though, it seemed to have better sense of hearing than he expected, as it immediately stopped activity to turn towards their direction the very moment they moved out. It turned towards them, with bloodstained hands and feet, in its tattered Fenrir flag clothes, mouth littered with blood all over.

It is, to his surprise, a human.

He shouldn't have been startled by this discovery, considering that the greedy bastard C exists in his life. C who has horns she kept underneath her hood, and a disfigured face caused by a radioactive Sariel bite. C, who is the devil incarnate.

He shouldn't have been surprised because the girl that stood before them looked completely human in appearance, save for her stark white skin, round, unusually-golden eyes and the fact that they just caught her eating a Chi-You.

“Uh...”

And for fuck's sake, she _talks._ Can this creature be any more human?

“I... am...” She wiped her bloody mouth with the sleeve of her torn dress, though a little bit of stain remained on her jaw line. “... hungry?”

“Whoa!” Kota was better at expressing his bewilderment than any of them, as he stood there, fingers shaking slightly and gun nozzle pointed straight towards the girl. Soma could understand the brat though, but he wasn't Kota and he'd be far from shaking in fear right now.

It was Sakaki's voice that shifted their attention. “Well, now! Good to see you!” He exclaimed, as if the creature before them was a visitor he had been expecting. There was no hint of fear in his voice, but pure excitement. “So you finally decided to show yourself!” He took steps towards the unit on guard and turned towards him. “Soma, thank you for bringing her here. I can be with her now... thanks to you!”

“No need to thank me. But how about an explanation?” He hissed.

The girl slumped lazily, arms hanging limped as she inspected everyone around her.

“Well, since she was being stubborn about not showing up, I eradicated what she's been feeding on in this area,” the doctor replied. The words had slipped casually from his mouth that he sounded like he was giving his usual lecture. “Even the pickiest of eaters can't ignore the pangs of hunger, right?”

The white-haired God Eater could only grit his teeth. “Man! Your sneakiness, at least, has no peer.”

“Um...” Kota finally cut in. “Doctor... s-so, who is this kid?”

She cocked her head forward and looked left to right.

“Oh, right, we shouldn't be chatting here like this... I'll explain everything in my lab. I apologize for keeping it from you all this time.” Sakaki stepped forward, and turned towards the girl that eyed them with curiosity beaming from her round eyes. “You... you'll come with us, won't you?”

The girl gave an enthusiastic nod at the doctor, chirping happily. “I'm ready to eat!”

“Huh...?” Soma cocked his head up at her.

“I was... ready to eat?”

Sakaki fished the pocket watch from underneath his coat and smiled towards the dark-skinned male frowning to himself. “Now that that's been established... Soma, would you mind picking Yuka up? She's taking unusually long with that Vajra, don't you think?” The younger male snorted in response.

At the sound of the female God Eater's name, the girl before them perked up and cheered, “Flower...? Flower!”

The older man mused to himself, but Soma narrowed his eyes at the girl in suspicion. “It seems she's acquainted with Yuka for some reason. What a surprise.” A surprise indeed and it only added more questions to his roster. “As I was saying, we'll go on ahead of you two, but be sure to tell her to drop by the lab. There are things I want her to hear too. Also...” The doctor's expression didn't change, but in Soma's point of view, his smile turned... dangerous. “... Haven’t you been looking for a chance to ask her questions?”

That's true, and he wouldn't deny it even to himself. Old Man Sakaki was still sharp as always. The male's blue eyes didn't escape the sight of Alisa's intense glares she'd thrown at his direction, before the group departed and Soma proceeded to hike towards the higher level of the area. The walk was silent and serene, which could only mean that she had successfully killed the Vajra or... the other way around.

That's not possible.

Soma grunted to himself for even letting the thought cross his head.

Sakaki didn't want to answer his questions, reasoning out that he's only role is to watch how things unfold, and meddling is not one of his favorite activities. He didn't want the answers to come from him, but from the center of it all herself. It is what C wanted too, for him to ask Yuka herself.

It had been the old man's idea all along—to isolate the blonde from the team while they pick up that strange girl. Things didn't go exactly as he planned, but it didn't matter, of course, because at the very least, Soma was given the chance to corner her in a space they have only for themselves, away from other people, to question her.

But she doesn't want to be questioned, and it only intrigued him more.

He found the Vajra's corpse almost immediately, and right next to it, was the body of a certain blonde God Eater. Both lay motionless in the bare ground littered with blood, and his heart raced a million miles per second. “Yuka!” He ran, kneeling right at her side and dropping his own God Arc. Soma propped her up to his arms and shook her shoulders slightly. “Oi!”

She didn't stir, and he swore to the heavens—

He shook her again.

Her eyebrows scrunched. “Fuck, I fell asleep,” she groaned out, rolling to her side and nuzzling his sleeve softly.

“How do you fall asleep in this—this _shit_?! Do you realize how dangerous it is to just fucking sleep in the open?!”

“Okay, honey, calm your tits. Nothing still beats _your bed,_ of course.”

He wasn't in the mood to bark bite at her, so Soma simply stood up as soon as Yuka was off his arms. He wasn't in the mood to listen to her silly complains and whines, so Soma simply picked up Evil One and followed her. “You know...” He had to try hard just for her words to register in his ears, because his mind was fleeting to the million questions running in his head—struggling which to be asked first. “There had been this strange presence all around the temple a while ago—” He had to focus to keep himself together. “—it's gone.”

He had to keep himself together, or else he will literally be pushing her against a wall where she could not make any alibi or escape.

Soma failed.

Because he _did_ grab her by the arm, and pushed her against a wall—

He did, except that, in the whirl of events, she clumsily lost her footing out of surprise and dragged him down with him on the ground. The next thing he heard was her groaning in pain, complaining that she hit her head quite hard. Still, her voice was a faint sound in his ears.

Her mouth continued to move until her eyes drifted towards the face of the man above her in all-fours, and Yuka fell into silence. Soma didn't know what expression he held that moment, but he saw the strange fear coating her blue eyes. Perhaps he was gritting his teeth with narrowed eyes, brows furrowed, or maybe he just kept that stern gaze and pursed lips. He didn't know.

What he knew was that he wasn't sure if he could bear to hear what the answers might be.

And yet, he still wants to.

“Uhm, Soma...?” This time, the sound of her voice soothed the constricting feeling present in his abdomen. “Shouldn't you be... buying me dinner first?” Yuka shrunk underneath him, receiving deadly glares straight from the male. “I mean- Aren't we getting a little too— too forward here? I'm getting a boner and I'm not even a guy!”

This time, a growl slipped from his throat. He had to ask her now, because if he doesn't, there might not be any other chances. He can't let himself get distracted with her stupid statements. With a sigh he pulled from his chest, Soma leaned down closer to the now-silent blonde's face until their foreheads met again.

Yuka's breath hitched at the contact, and she fought the urge not to squeal, push him away or—or— _kiss_ him. Because temptation is raging strong right now, and she'd always been submissive to temptation.

“Stop it...” He whispered.

Yuka lifted her gaze to meet his eyes, but Soma didn't let her, for he kept his eyes closed the whole time. She was thankful for that though, because her face was genuinely blazing and to stay this close in this position for too long would lead to unfortunate things. Heck, she might end up actually kissing him—she wouldn't mind, he would, but it would definitely be worth it. “S-Stop what...?”

_Stop fantasizing about you? That's going to be hard._

“Stop doing things for me. I'm not-” Soma caught himself and even Yuka did. “...It's not worth it.”

The fantasies filling her imagination came to an abrupt stop, and the blonde scowled up at him. “Then love yourself...?”

Love... himself? He found himself perturbed at the words she left, that he pulled back in disbelief. Heck, what good thing is there about him to love? During the entirety of his life, he had killed more people than he had saved. What is there to love about that? What good is she seeing?

“Love yourself,” she repeated, gaze burning. “Value your life. Because as long as you don't give a damn about that, I will be the one to love and value you more than I do with my own life.” The words caused Soma to grit his teeth. Why would she go as far as doing that? It is ridiculous to consider a monster like him as someone important. She could have had a better life away from him; why? “—because you don't deserve anymore bullshit life wants you to shoulder. Because you've had enough. Because you deserve to be fucking happy for once. Because you deserve to live normally like everyone.” At the expense of her own life? Bullshit! “Because you deserve something better than being a tool for some sickass lunatic's goal!”

 _Because I love you,_ Yuka barred the words before they could run out of her throat. She hated this. She hated having to raise her voice at him. Now that he was a distance away from him, she took the chance to smash her skull right against his, eliciting a loud growl of pain from the other and causing him to fall back to the ground in sitting position. “What the fuck is that fo—?!”

She had thrown her arms around him, forehead on contact once more and burning gaze piercing right through his soul. They stayed silent for a few good minutes, before her eyes drifted close and her lips parted for words.

“ _Go on and kiss the girl~_ _♪♩_ ,” a voice in his earpiece sang. “ _Kiss the girl~_ ”

He immediately scowled. “Shut the fuck up.”

Yuka seemed to be hearing the same thing, because she was scowling as well, glaring daggers at the commlink hooked on her ear.

“Oh, you don't like that song?” C snickered. “Don't worry. I have another one in my track list.” The girl didn't let them protest in any other way, as she belted out a new set of lyrics with that horrible voice of hers. “ _To paradise with pleasure haunted, haunted by fear~_ _♪♩_ ”

 _So much uncontained fear,_ he thought.

“ _A sin for him, desire within, desire within~_ _♪♩_ _A burning veil for the bride too dear for him~_ _♪♩_ ”

Her expression had softened now, and she was, in some weird way, enjoying the crappy singing of the pale girl on the other end of the line. “Let's go,” Soma told her, earning a small smile. “The old man said he wanted to show you something.”

“Promise you won't say silly things again.”

He kept silent.

“... Soma?”

“Then promise to tell me everything?”

“Never mind.”

Ichinose Yuka—the person who'd do anything for her secrets to stay under wrapped.

_Because a world without you is a world I'd rather not exist in._

* * *

 

The Far East Branch was a calm sea, and yet it stirred within her a raging storm. A strange tick of uneasiness drove her insane for every second that passed, and Yuka grew even more anxious than ever. It was _that_ strange feeling, she knew.

And it only grew worse the closer she got to the laboratory.

There were voices on the other side, voices she was familiar with. It was the First Unit, all of them. Despite the doubt sitting on her chest, she opened the door.

“There you are!” It was Sakaki who beamed happily as soon as the door was wide open. But the blonde's attention was not on him, or to Soma standing on one side of the doctor, who is usually the subject of her affection-slash-torture. A pair of round blue eyes stared down at the figure that the rest of the unit gathered around in a semi-circle. In return, everyone else stared at her and her silence.

Yuka was sure she is—in some way—familiar with the pale white girl seated on the floor, smiling happily at her with innocent golden eyes like that of a child. Had she seen her before? Because that tattered and torn Fenrir flag sure rings a bell at the back of her head. The other blinked up at her, smile never faltering. The child reminded her of C, which she is sure, but there was something entirely different about her.

It was some puzzle piece she can't place her finger on. _Again._

The child appeared to have finally recognized her, for she happily cheered “Flower!” and began to crawl her way towards the blonde frozen in shock. Alisa and Lenka did their senior no help, both New-Types willingly stepping aside to give way for the pale girl that once again said another “Flower~” like it was a sweet candy. Only when she was one more step away did Yuka started screaming.

It startled everyone of course, as she ran for dear life, leaping over to the leather couch on her side and running over it until Soma—poor, poor Soma—was only a jump away. In split second, she had climbed up to his shoulder in panic, clinging to him tightly like a frightened koala. “Yuka, what the fuck—?!”

“Flower!”

“Keep her away from me!”

Kota was losing over the urge to not hysterically laugh. “Yu-Yuka-san! She's not dangerous!” At least that is what the doctor had told them. “You could—” A giggle. “—get down now.” And his laughter mingled with the rest of the team's.

The little girl was now sitting before Soma, blinking up and staring at the blonde whose face was buried on the fabric of the dark-skinned God Eater's hood, whimpering and shaking her head. “Protect me, Soma—” She sobbed. “Protect me from that Aragami.”

“How did you know she's an Aragami?” Soma scowled suspiciously in question. Other than that, he didn't seem to mind the extra weight on his shoulders. “Nobody has told you anything just yet.”

“I just know, okay?” The other whimpered as a response.

“There is nothing to be terrified of though, _sestra_ ,” Alisa said, but Yuka only shook her head furiously. “According to Dr. Sakaki, she has a different bias inclination, and wouldn't be feeding on us.”

Paylor nodded in agreement.

“I don't care!” She cried. “She makes me feel tingly all over!”

Soma cocked up a brow. “Same thing with Hibari?” It caused the mouths of everyone else to gape open in surprise, and the male scoffed at the other now pouting at him. “Get the fuck down.”

In obligation, Yuka did slide down from the male God Eater's shoulders and allowed her feet to touch the floor, though she still hid warily behind his back, peeking at the Aragami girl from his shoulders. “Can I pet her?” She mumbled, but didn't really get any kind of reply. Slowly, the blonde padded towards the pale girl seated on the floor and reached out a shaky hand. A loud yelp slipped past her lips when the golden-eyed girl grabbed her by the wrist, and she _almost_ retaliated, if her fingers had not brushed on soft strands of hair. It would have been pretty easy to mistake that this girl is actually human. Even her hair felt real.

Silence danced around the room, with only the sounds of the smaller female purring in delight. Yuka's expression eventually softened the more the petting continued, the girl now beaming happily up at her in bliss. “She's such a ray of moonlight. Do we get to keep her, Doc?”

Sakaki pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “It depends on the situation of course.”

Kota shuddered at the idea though. “Uhm, yeah, since she's still an Aragami and all.”

“Now, as I was saying,” Paylor began. “This Aragami's Bias seems to be directed at other Aragami of a higher order. We humans don't even fall to the category of food, as far as she's concerned.” The little girl's gaze now traveled round and round at everyone present. “It's a common misperception... Aragamis aren't born with characteristics of other life-forms. Rather, they evolve at a breakneck pace through Devouring. As a result of that, their diverse evolutionary potential is condensed into a very short period of time. And that's what makes an Aragami what it is!”

Sakuya's gaze was now directed at the girl. “You mean this child...”

“Right. Just like humankind, they temporarily got stuck in a dead end in their process of evolution,” the doctor explained. “She's an Aragami evolving much like a human.”

The words seemed to have caught the dark-skinned male's attention. “A human-like... Aragami, you mean?”

“Yes. Based on an examination I conducted earlier... The equivalent of her cranial nerves and synapses seem to be functioning exactly like a human brain. Clearly, she's got an incredible capacity to learn. Quite an intriguing specimen!”

The girl was now back to happily petting her head with Yuka's hand, who stared at her with thoughts and attention a million universes away.

Kota raised his hand. “Doc! I think I got most of what you said... actually, it was mostly way over my head...” Alisa and Soma snorted in unison, but the redhead gunner only had the courage to glare at the Russian God Eater beside him. “Uhm... Exactly what does she mean when she says 'food' or 'I'm ready to eat'?”

“Food!” The Aragami girl squealed happily.

“It sounds pretty ominous coming from her,” their young gunner added.

“Like I said, the Bias of an Aragami basically dictates that it will not partake of any being similar to itself. That said, in times of dire hunger—just now, for instance—she's likely to gobble up anything, no matter how unpleasant it may taste.” It shocked everyone to silence, except for Soma and Yuka, the latter even bringing a finger to the little girl's lips. “But that's an exception to the rule.”

Yuka finally stood up. “Well, 'Aragami' is only a nickname, isn't it?” She asked, to which Paylor nodded.

“You were scared of her a moment ago,” Soma snorted, and she simply glared up at him. Like hell he would understand that split second of sheer terror that filled her. It literally shook her insides violently, and she'd never been so afraid her entire life—not in the moments she remembers.

Maybe C has something to do with this.

Her commlink buzzed. “Oh yeah, blame it all to me,” the information broker's voice snickered, but she paid her not even the littlest attention.

The doctor, on the other hand, kept talking. “There have been examples of multiple entities adopting the design of what we humans envision as 'The Gods'... these have been spotted worldwide. What thought process led them to adopt such a mode of life? By what process did they come to worship gods? Don't you find that intriguing? And this Aragami child here, who has completely assumed a human form, is an even rarer case, you see. Oh, but I digress. Well, I think that should do it for our study group.” There was a short moment of silence until he spoke again. “One last thing—if you wouldn't mind, I would like to keep this a secret just between us... Are we agreed?”

Two pairs of blue eyes narrowed suspiciously at the old man, but neither Soma nor Yuka said a word. Of course, having a live Aragami in the Den would stir fear and questions to everyone, regardless of what they say. But underlying in Sakaki's words seemed to be a far deeper reason behind this secrecy. Sakuya spoke up first, “But... we'll have to report it to the advisor and the director...”

“Sakuya,” Sakaki began, taking steps closer towards their veteran sniper. “You are an exalted God Eater, and protector of humankind. And yet you intend to tell your superiors that I smuggled an Aragami into the Den, the headquarters at the battlefront?”

Even her eyes grew questioning. “Well, no... But why exactly did you do it?”

“Didn't I tell you before? Because she's a valuable sample. She's merely the subject of an important personal research project, that's all.”

“Important?” It was Yuka.

“ _Very._ ” His attention returned to the unit's vice captain. “Don't worry. I made sure this room had its own communications infrastructure and security system; it is not linked to the other sections. Now, I'm sure you wouldn't want anyone prying needlessly into your private affairs either, would you?”

Yuka's breath hitched, and Soma's suspicious gaze shifted to her. The blonde scowled though her lips visibly quivered. “H-He said _needlessly._ I had to check if you were keeping porn in your terminal archives.”

“Why the hell would I—forget it.”

Fuck. She just gave herself away, didn't she? Now Soma knows she sticks her nose into his business. Hello, even tighter security to his private stuff.

The doctor's expression calmed down, and he was smiling again as he faced the rest of the team. “Oh, and by the way... You and I are already accomplices in all this.”

“Ready to eat!” The Aragami girl chirped once more.

“I'd like you to be her friend. You two, too,” was what he said, though his gaze noticeably lingered far longer at the male God Eater who wore a look of utter disapproval. “... Please look out for her.”

His scowl deepened in an instant. “Don't be ridiculous.”

 _That's right. That's a ridiculous idea,_ she thought. _We're still half-Aragamis. Her Bias inclination could change and she could see that we're probably lower in the food chain._

“She may be good at imitating humans... but she's still a monster.”

 _Still a monster,_ Yuka repeated in her head, much like an echo. _I am fucking offended._

With those words gathering in the air, Soma exited the room, making sure not to pay any of them a single glance. The blonde God Eater remained in silence as well, until the footsteps were faint in her ears. “Doc, I have a question.” Her eyes fell on the girl seated on the floor, staring solemnly at the door. “Can the evolution happen backwards?”

For the first time in forever, Lenka found his voice. “Backwards...?”

“What do you mean, _sestra_?”

“You said it yourself. She's an Aragami that evolves much like a human being. Sooner or later, under proper guidance, she could learn how to act and speak like a proper human does. She could be taught.” Yuka didn't know if the girl could fall under the likes of C, considering that the latter is neither human nor Aragami, but this girl right before them could be like them—learn to be like them in a rapid pace. She could catch up to their progress and actually pass as a human being.

But what about...

“Do you mean the process of a human turning into an Aragami?” Sakuya asked, perplexed.

It wasn't what she had in mind. “No, no, but rather, a human _evolving_ into an Aragami very much like her; human in appearance, but with growing desire to devour. Can humanity be erased from a human-Aragami?” Is a backward evolution even possible?

“ _Sestra,_ you're beginning to scare Kota here.”

“Sh-Shut up!”

“It is a quite scary thought,” Paylor replied. “And to answer your question, yes, a human can turn into a god.” His gaze remained fixed at the blonde, attempting to read between her expressions.

Kota arched up a brow. “Didn't we have that established? God Eaters get infected if they break their armlet or something.” Though he really didn't get any kind of confirmation as Yuka breezed past him and everyone else, leaving “I'm going to talk to Soma” as her final words. The door closed, and their Aragami girl whimpered a “Flower” as footsteps faded into the silence.

* * *

Yuka hated finding C when it is not her that she's looking for. She found that smug grin directed towards her, and C didn't even need to beckon for her to come close. “What do you need?” She frowned, having no real desire to engage in a conversation with her favorite person. She needed to find Soma and talk to him; not quite sure about what or why should she do that. She just needed to get away from C and see Soma. As simple as that.

She needed Soma, because her insides are a hurricane and it won't be long until it turns her to a mess for no apparent reason. Then hell would welcome her back to that deep abyss.

“Let me get this clear,” the teal-haired girl began. “The current resolve is to find the Singularity, give it to him and spare yourself a few more... months, years?.” Noticing how the blonde's brow was raised in question, she decided to continue. “But you know things never go one-hundred-percent as planned. As I asked you before, can you really bring yourself to break his trust?”

Her heart dropped. “Where are you trying to get?” Somehow, C just senses when she's a total mess, and grabs every opportunity to make her worse. Yuka can't allow her. Not now, okay? “I don't need—I don't _want_ to think things through and make decisions right now, C. Fucking _please._ ”

C's lips pursed to a pout. “You know you don't really have much time, right?” The pale girl snickered. The blonde could only lower her head in silence. “Stargazer knows what's up. That Lotus Boy isn't getting any better with his infection either. And Moonboy... he knows you have placed yourself in something deathly dangerous. He asked not-so nicely...” She shrugged. “Had to give him the answer since I don't feel like lying.”

“Something tells me you had so much fun during that conversation,” Yuka hissed.

“No sweat, Flower. I didn't tell him the extremely dangerous side of the story. If he finds out, he's going to pale.”

“Do you now see why I fucking blame you for everything?”

The smaller girl laughed, much to her annoyance. “Well, you can't expect things to go the way you want them to all the time, Flower. You can't control the flow of things. No matter how much you look at it, you aren't a god. Soon, but not yet.”

“When I become one, you're going to be the first one I'll torment.”

“If you become a god powerful enough to stand up against me that is.” C cackled in delight. “Gods never meddle with the devil, Flower.” And in one passing moment, she had turned her back to her, walking away from the perplexed blonde with a wave.

It was the voices of Kota and Alisa that brought Yuka's attention away from the words C had left. The pair strode in from the section elevator, the Russian female obviously not amused at her current choice of companion. “Say, want to hear something crazy?” Kota started.

“No need. I know of something even crazier,” the silver-haired female quickly retorted, flipping her hair at the other effortlessly as she tried to pick up her pace. “Like, I had to be in the same plane of existence as you are.”

It was the gunner's turn to appear displeased, though if he was disappointed, it was quite difficult to determine. “Okay. Then I won't tell you that mum wants me to invite you and Lenka over to our house for lunch.” It didn't seem to bother Alisa at the slightest though, mumbling about how she has her own money to cover her expenses in terms of food and other necessary supplies. As if to prove him this, she parted from him and headed straight for the Den's resident merchant. “Does she have a problem with me?” He asked, pouting slightly at his blonde senior.

Yuka chuckled and began to pat the boy's head. “You're a few years too young to be bothering yourself about that. Don't be so eager on impressing the girls... or the girl, rather. Besides, if you mess with my _kleine schwe_ _ß_ _ter_ , you're basically messing with me too.”

“W-What are you talking about? Sheez. You're getting that all from C, aren't you?”

“Kota, you're blushing.”

“It's because you're saying embarrassing things!” The other argued, but she only ruffled his hair, disheveling slightly the beanie he wore. “What's suddenly gotten into you, Yuka?”

She simply smiled at the young God Eater and patted his shoulder as she walked past, heading for the elevator. That's a good question. What's gotten into her? As the doors of the small confinement began to close, she caught sight of the two teens smiling helplessly at her direction, before their images disappeared behind the bars. Those kids are hard workers, and Alisa too, with her attempts to blend in well with the rest of the team but still keep her head up high. Sakuya is slowly recovering from the heavy blow Lindow's death brought. And Soma...

She sighed.

Soma is progressing slowly, as usual.

But then, it'll work itself out somehow. Despite the bantering and teasing, they managed to stick together as a team for long, battle-filled months.

This silly unit patched with people of varying personalities is her new family.

... a family she might be leaving a little too soon...?


	37. Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You are actually quite lucky. All those years, you had that silly lifeline you clung into.”
> 
> “I fancy how you picked to use ‘had’ instead of ‘have’,” Yuka laughed, but the pain in her chest and throat was real. They were so real she wanted to start crying. “It makes more real the fact that I’m losing the only everything I have.” That is reality, and she has to suck it up whether she likes it or not. That is what’s happening, and no matter how much she tries to patch it up with more lies, she can never erase nor deny it.
> 
> The truth? Behind all the delusions she weaved for her own delight, she’s suffering alone. She’s fighting these battles alone, for a future she has no firm grasp on.

“A name, did you say?”

The words coming from Alisa’s lips were like thorns in her ears. She didn’t want to give this child a name—it would only lead to an attachment they might find hard to cut.

“Yes, we can’t keep calling her ‘this child’. It’s too inconvenient,” Sakaki answered. Yuka can’t disagree with the doctor though, seeing that she herself is running out of descriptive words to refer to the Aragami girl seated on the floor and blinking up at them with wide eyes sparkling with so much innocence. “I just don’t have an aptitude for naming things. I’d like you to think up a marvelous name in my stead. Will you?”

“Will you?” The pale girl repeated, eyes shining.

Kota drew a smug grin across his face. “Ha!” Alisa, tempted to arch up a brow at her teammate, turned towards the gunner proudly looking down at the Aragami girl. “To tell you the truth, I’m actually pretty good at this naming business!”

The Russian who stood at his side frowned almost immediately. “Somehow, I find that extremely ominous.”

But the redhead teen easily ignored her words and continued, “Let me see... How about...” His eyes drifted close in thought, and in that moment of short silence, everyone’s hearts thundered like horses racing across asphalt fields. Kota had always been labeled as the mood maker of their team, with his silly ideas and all, but who knows? He might just have an _actually_ good idea for once. When those brown eyes flew open, Yuka was certain her heart stopped in anticipation. “Norami?”

She held the urge to knee her poor junior right to the stomach.

Judging from the look of terror that enveloped the entirety of Alisa’s face, she was on her side. “ _мерзкий_!”

The other’s eyelids drew a flat line over his eyes. “Not really sure whatever you said, but you get a better idea, then?” He snorted, to which Alisa averted her gaze, nervously running her fingers through silken silver locks as her lips stammered out any possible comebacks, face blazing in embarrassment. “Aha! You’re scared to expose your lack of style, aren’t you?”

“I—I most certainly am not! Um... um...”Her face grew even redder; Yuka and Sakuya simply letting a smile grace their lips the more the pair’s bantering continued.

“Shio!” The small girl quavered amidst the argument, surprising everyone present inside the laboratory.

“A-Actually!” The rosy coloration of Alisa’s cheeks had subsided. “I just happened to think of the very same name!”

Kota refused to be beaten to it. “You’re so full of it! Huh... why don’t we just go with Norami, then?”

“Shio!” She repeated.

“Is that...” It was Sakuya. “Is that your name?”

The girl, named Shio apparently, cocked her head to the side lazily and smiled up at their veteran sniper. “That’s right!”

It was a surprise to discover that this girl could say words other than ‘flower’ and those related to eating. If they could, in some way, engage in even a small but proper conversation with her, then the doctor’s words are true; she really learns fast.

Sakaki smiled. “Well, well, well. Apparently, someone else has already christened this child.” The question though, is who? All mouths gaped open in surprise. Wouldn’t that mean that Shio had been with another person prior to them finding her? Would it be possible to ask her?

“Listen, um...” Kota bent his knees, leaning forward slightly to meet Shio’s golden, child-like eyes. “Don’t you think Norami’s a better name?”

“Yuck!”

Lenka’s stifled laughter echoed throughout the four walls of the laboratory. At the very least, Shio is honest. The sounds of delight from their leader later were joined with Kota’s overjoyed squeal, the redhead teen nearly in tears as he thanked the clueless Aragami girl. Yuka didn’t know exactly what happened except for them finding out that the girl actually had a name. Nevertheless, her own laughter mingled with the rest.

When their noises had calmed down, it was Sakuya who spoke first. “She sure is picking up words at an incredible speed, I see. What if she matures at the same speed?” Her eyes wandered at the sight of Kota and Alisa standing side by side, escorting one happy Shio to the Intensive Observation Unit, her temporary room. The young male was exclaiming various colloquial words to Alisa’s horror, the latter shifting her attention from the male as she began lecturing Shio not to pick up any inappropriate words. The trio disappeared behind the door that went shut tight.

Sakaki returned in front of his computer, though his attention remained fixed at the three God Eaters left in his laboratory. “The one who named her Shio... I believe that is the man who is no longer with us.”

The words left a trace of gloom and depression over the sniper’s face, as she lowered her head in refusal to meet the doctor’s eyes. Could it actually be possible? Yuka wished to hope too, but then, all the facts they learned about the Oracle Cell, God Arcs, Aragamis and Bias simply declare otherwise. Besides, Shio would have said something at the very least, isn’t that right? She didn’t want to say the idea is impossible either though. It took a few more minutes of silence before she heard the doctor speak again, facing her direction, “By the way, you don’t mind, do you, Yuka?”

She stared at the older man in confusion, Sakuya and Lenka doing the same at her. When she caught the underlying meaning of the doctor’s smile, she graced her lips with a small smile of her own. “It’s alright. I’ll need all kinds of help I can get.”

That’s what she said.

That’s what she thought.

Then why did she just crack open an Ogretail’s skull out of brute force? And she wasn’t satisfied by just that. She had to smash her blade right at the body of the fallen Aragami, effectively crushing a portion of its carcass to messy pieces and sending blood to all possible directions.

It was starting.

Yuka took a deep breath, inhaling as much air as her lungs could contain, to fight the burning constriction right inside her.

Not now. Not now.

Her breaths were doing very little. Every bone, every marrow—they were melting at the continuous growth of heat in her chest.

But she can’t be defeated by it right now.

Dr. Sakaki was already putting enough burdens in Soma’s shoulders. She can’t be another addition. One more sigh, and she slumped down next to the dead Ogretail, arms around the knees she pulled against her chest. “Was I...” The blonde began. “... never cut out to do it?” The gentle whistle of the air was the only reply she received. “Have I only been forcing myself into a place where I don’t fit? Was the last eighteen years only a grave mistake?”

The corpse of the Ogretail didn’t give any kind of answer.”Bloody fucking emotions,” she then hissed at nothing in particular, waiting for anything or anyone to reply—to tell her that it’s alright, that she belongs... that she can actually make a change. A little while later, she decided that sitting around would do her no good, for the dead Aragami was beginning to attract a party. Probably a few more moments and it wouldn’t be just a pack of Ogretails. “I actually need some company, and I’ll take whatever I can get.” She picked up her God Arc, welcoming the arriving Aragamis with a smug grin.

Hibari wasn’t kidding when she described the situation as an infestation. Yuka couldn’t believe that she started this massacre with a heart swelling with pride, but now, that pride had been crushed as she watched the groups and groups of Ogretails and Vajratails littering the carrier. They filled the area with those big-footed steps.

If she jumps into the fray right now, she might have to handle the situation with a wee bit of difficulty. On another note, they’re just Ogretails. Even so, it would mean the place will be splayed with Aragami corpses, and the more of them, the higher chances of pulling in larger, much stronger beasts that are prisoners of hunger. Now _that_ might just be real trouble.

Yuka loaded up on a couple of bomb bullets, aimed, and fired.

* * *

It was a mess of corpses when she finished—so crowded she tripped over a dead Vajratail’s leg and nearly crashed to the ground. The sun was almost at the end of its trip, showering the sky with an array of warm colors from yellow, orange, to red. For some weird reason, Yuka found an odd connection. “I am the sun,” she then chuckled, her laughter carried by the wind amidst the serenity of the area. Addison once told her how she shines brightly, even going as far as saying that she illuminates the room with a gleaming smile; it was a compliment she simply laughed at back then.

And just like the sun she sees right now, Yuka is at her dusk phase.

“If you delve deeper into that metaphor, you’ll find how true it is.”

Her lips curled up to a slight grin. “Why, thank you for that compliment, C. I honestly did not expect to hear it from you.” As soon as the smaller figure came to sat by her side with crossed legs, Yuka let her body fall sideways until the side of her head was on C’s shoulders. It didn’t matter if the other was smaller. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t Soma. She needed something—someone to lean on, or else her grip on her own sanity would slip. “Sunsets held the prettiest and brightest colors among any other time of the day. Am I bound to do the same?”

The teal-haired female didn’t answer, and instead stared straight at the horizon.

It took a while for sounds to dominate the air in the form of C’s voice and its melancholic tone. “You are actually quite lucky. All those years, you had that silly lifeline you clung into.”

“I fancy how you picked to use ‘had’ instead of ‘have’,” Yuka laughed, but the pain in her chest and throat was real. They were so real she wanted to start crying. “It makes more real the fact that I’m losing the only everything I have.” That is reality, and she has to suck it up whether she likes it or not. That is what’s happening, and no matter how much she tries to patch it up with more lies, she can never erase nor deny it.

The truth? Behind all the delusions she weaved for her own delight, she’s suffering alone. She’s fighting these battles alone, for a future she has no firm grasp on.

“Because the way you are, you _are_ losing the only thing that is your anchor—your resolution,” the other confirmed. Trust C to rub one in the face with a full-grown cactus. “Say, have you ever given a thought to the question of where would you be if you hadn’t met Moonboy?” A meek ‘Dead, probably’ rose from the blonde’s lips, and the girl chuckled slightly, for those words slipped rather easily without even much thought to it. “Really?” She asked in disbelief.”Never considered that you could have lived a much more normal life? Away from all of this?”

She smiled, small and pained. “That person wouldn’t be me then.”

“How could you humans dedicate so much of your lives to a person who never bothered giving you even a sideways-glance?” C pouted slightly, slouching forward and allowing her shoulders to drop. “You all are very complicated, no matter where I go.” The female God Eater only laughed, and so she decided to take the conversation one step deeper. “Flower, what makes a monster?”

At the question, the blonde fell into silence. “Well...” She began, but her lips ended up pursing into a straight line. Five-year-old her would probably answer that a monster has a disfigured, scary face, with sharp claws or big hands, but that was the beast she’d always believed were under her bed.

Soma had always considered himself a monster, and she’d always been equally persistent to tell him otherwise. It wasn’t because he didn’t hold a face terrifying enough, or he wasn’t cursed with talons or any of that crap, but because he hadn’t done anything deserving of that title. Accidents are _accidents._ They happen to everyone. He can’t hold himself responsible just because he isn’t like them. “Behavior?” She tried.

“Wrong!” The smaller girl exclaimed as she crossed her arms over her chest, causing Yuka to pull back from the comfortable position of leaning onto her shoulders. “It’s you.”

Yuka scowled and hissed. “I get your point, you bastard. There’s no need to rub it in my face.” For a while, it was nothing but a scowling competition until Yuka gave up with a sigh. “Elaborate “

“You said one’s behavior defines if they are a monster or not, but that’s only a small part of it, and so is appearance. The major part is always you.” Yuka remained silent and C watched her for a few good minutes. It was later that she took the blank reaction as a sign that her words didn’t really reach her understanding. She would have pulled the same act as she did with Soma back at the city, but Yuka’s response was a little too adverse that she deemed it was not a very wise move. Instead, she pulled out another question, “Is Shio a monster to you?”

The question caught her attention, and for split second, the littlest signs of life decorated her blue eyes. “How did the conversation spun towards Shio?” She asked. C didn’t answer, insisting that her question be answered first.

Is Shio a monster?

It was still pretty early to make a judgment. Though it has been confirmed to them that she is indeed an Aragami—a mass of Oracle Cells governed by a core, Yuka still could not find a space in her head to associate Shio with any of the various Aragami species she encountered throughout her life. There is no concrete proof that labels her as a monster through behavior alone, and as far as they know, she hasn’t really exhibited ill behavior worthy of earning her that kind of title.

“You said instinct makes a monster,” C started upon noticing the continued silence. “And we both know what she is capable of, right?” She shook her head. “After all, she is the key to the end—the end of all hope!”The very idea stretched the pale girl’s lips to a wide grin. The ‘end of all hope’ is a statement that is both literal and symbolic, and is simply scenery she’d love to spectate at some point in time. “Have you heard of it before? That song with the same name?”

To her surprise, Yuka allowed her to, in contrast to her old reaction of bribing her with credits just to stop. In fact, she was at the chorus when the blonde found her voice again.”But Shio... Shio is different from them.” She sighed. “... in both appearance and behavior.”

“I’m different from them,” C replied, jabbing a finger at her own chest. “Soma is different from them.” Her hand moved, now pointing at the general direction of the branch’s location. “And so are Lenka and Alisa.” Her lips now pressed to a thin line, seeing that none of her words are actually successful in getting through the other’s head. Yuka can’t get a clear grasp of the idea she wished to stick in her.”You are too; you simply just don’t see it at all.”

“And how did you know I’m different from... from _them_?” She questioned. “You don’t— I don’t—” A sigh. “I don’t even know where I’ll end up.”

“So, you’re scared. Boohoo~” C’s mocking was enough to earn even only a glare from the formerly silent blonde. As usual, she is being an insensitive prick. “Go cry on Soma’s shoulder. Who knows? Maybe you can score a hit on him.” She was to playfully tap her on the shoulder, but Yuka swatted her hand before any contact.”Oh, that’s right. It wouldn’t exactly matter to him.”

The female God Eater glared at her one final time, before picking her God Arc and standing up. It was about time to head back anyway, and further conversation with C surely will not end up pleasing.

“By the way, Flower,” snickered C, and she heard the other’s footsteps fall to a halt. “It wouldn’t be very healthy for you to take the path I’m in. Things might just spiral down a little too dangerously.”

“Like hell I would.” But she doesn’t want to stay like this either. She doesn’t want to stay caged within her own lies, those sick delusions, fake images—a future and life that would never come to be from where she stood. All those had only been blocking her vision from the terrible reality she exists in.

But at the same time, she wished to keep holding on to that little piece of hope. After all, that’s all she has, right? And if she is meant to lose it— _him_ —too, then so be it. She’ll cross the bridge when she gets there.

She would keep on giving him that push forward as long as she sees fit. She would keep on supporting him as long as she can. He might never look back, but when it happens, she’d be able to say it is okay.

Hopefully.

“Let’s head back, C. It’s dark already. I didn’t even take much notice of the sun disappearing.”

“Same goes for someone I know.”

They shared a smile, Yuka’s bittersweet and C’s devious.

* * *

Barely thirty minutes since her assigned duty time began, but Yuka already found her hands full. “Field training?” Blue eyes darted over to the papers shoved in her hands, with the title _Pilgrim_ written in bold letters as a header. Alisa and Kota both nodded shyly in response. “But... you are both really good.”

“Not good enough for the Major, apparently,” the Russian frowned, crossing her arms with a slight huff, to which the blonde laughed.

“Sakuya and Lenka are out of commission too,” Kota then said. “Soma, on the other hand, is a no-go.”

Those, she can agree on. Though it felt bad that she sounded totally like a last choice, Yuka let it slide and chuckled once more. “You both realize that focus is my greatest weakness, don’t you?” Besides, the last time she charged in against a group of four Kongous, the Aragamis were pulverized by a regenerating Tezcatlipoca that nearly blew her ribs out of her body. “We should take one more person into this.”

The redhead teen chewed on the inside of his cheek. “How about Kanon? A medic would surely be needed.” Alisa and Yuka exchanged horrified looks, before deciding that ‘Alisa can be a medic just fine’. “Gina then?”

Alisa cocked up a brow. “You aren’t just trying to score some on the women, are you?” Her tone was obviously accusing that the male Old-Type scowled, arguing otherwise. “Hmph!” It was almost as if she was jealous and completely unaware of it.

“How about Tatsumi?” The younger God Eaters blinked up at her. “He’s a decent leader, and actually has been in this job a year before Mr. Edgy McEdgelord. In addition to that, his style is to lure Aragamis to himself to give his teammates room to attack.” Two pairs of eyes stared straight at her in a mixture of surprise and confusion, and the blonde simply ruffled their hair in response, prompting Kota and Alisa to arrange the beanie and cap they wore. “It’s also helpful to study other people’s style in the battlefield. It will help you coordinate and strategize better.” At least that’s what she did before. This time, she’d mainly adapted Soma’s habit of just striking with brute force.

She has to change that if she wants to last at least until the end of dusk.

“Can’t you sit fucking still even only for a day?” The white-haired God Eater hissed, peering at the moving blonde from underneath strands of hair and the fabric of his hood. A gentle blow created ripples on the surface of his hot chocolate, disappearing at the curve of the mug, and yet his gaze and glare remained as they were. “Do you plan to die early?”

Yuka was unfazed as well, arranging neatly folded clothes on the shelves of his closet. She pulled back, as if checking if everything was peachy clean, before shutting the doors firm and close.

“Yuka—”

“Shouldn’t you be getting a move on now? Dr. Sakaki summoned you to his office, didn’t he? I have to supervise Alisa and Kota’s field training too.”

He clicked his tongue. What is with this aloof personality she’s brandishing him now? Just last night she was whiny and clingy and insatiable. What is with this sudden shift? She was almost at the door, but Soma was not going to have any of this shit. “Why the hell are you avoiding me?”

A jolt straightened her spine and forced her two feet to a stop. “I’m not... I’m not avoiding you, Soma.”

He cocked up a brow.

“Does this look like avoiding to you?”

In split second, she was marching up to him, and the next thing he knew was a firm grip pulling his tie downwards, and droplets of hot chocolate spilling over the mug to his fingers. If he was any worse, he would surely have dropped the mug and spill the contents all over the floor. The only thing that snapped him back to reality was the stinging pain on his bottom lip, which raised a small growl from his throat, and then he was pushed back before he knew it. “There’s a little too much sugar.” And just like that, she had disappeared.

“Shit...”

Ichinose Yuka is such a problem.

“Ah, finally! What took you so long?”Sakaki was unusually bright and cheery, smiling up at him the very moment he stepped into the laboratory. Shio was on one corner of the room, curiously playing a staring game with a couple of table top decorations lined up on the shelf. “Your ears are a little red, Soma. Are you feverish?”

He grumbled in response, slumping down on the couch and crossing his arms. It only took a while for Shio to take notice of him, leaving the shelf and instead walking towards him in that slouched position, arms hanging limp. “Why the hell do I keep getting called here?”

Beside him, the Aragami girl giggled.

“It just seems that Shio has become fond of you and Yuka apparently.” And because that fucking _ray of sunshine_ is out with her supervisor duties, he’d have to deal with this alone. “She’d been waiting for you to pay her a visit.”

“A visit!” The girl chirped. “Fun!” She was now staring curiously down at the male, though more specifically at the irregular lines of creases decorating the fabric of his hood. Her lips stretched to a wide, open smile, as she lifted a finger and poked on those creases, watching as the hood slid off Soma’s head, pooling at the back of his neck.

Of course, he had to pull it back up in irritation.

Of course, Shio had to do it again.

Again and again until Soma was glaring daggers at her, and she fought it with an amazed and innocent gaze of equal degree.

“Ow!” The male yelped, pushing himself away from the assaulting Aragami, rubbing his eyes in reflex. Shio’s delighted giggle resonated in his ears, and it was _fucking_ irritating. He hissed. “Don’t go poking people’s eyes, what the fuck.”

A few moments later did Paylor spoke again, the smiling mask completely discarded from his face. “Actually, this isn’t about Shio.” Their gaze met, sending cold chills on the line of his spine, and for a moment, he forgot about the curious human-like Aragami at his side. “I’m not in the position to disclose this to you but...” He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “... I believe you have the right to know.”

He didn’t want to hear this from him.

“Yuka’s body continues to deteriorate.”

He didn’t want to hear this from _anybody else_.

“If this goes further...”

Shio had now slumped on the floor, examining each of her toes and poking a finger in the spaces between them. The professor’s silence was enough for him to get a gist of what the blonde’s continued stubbornness might entail. _Well, it would mean you failed to look after her as you promised._ He hated it—this boiling irritation.”... well, prepare yourself for something worse than death.”

He didn’t like how it sounded, and Shio didn’t appear to either.

“Doctor, what is worse than death?” The pale girl asked, worried golden eyes blinking up at the old man.

Soma swallowed that lump in his throat. Sakaki’s eyes fell on him and he took note of how he was intensely glaring at the floor. “Being the one to cause it. Soma, tomorrow is a day-off for you, isn’t it?” The doctor cocked his head over to the small calendar seated on top of one of the shelves on the side. The God Eater nodded, albeit reluctantly. It wasn’t very frequent of him to make use of day-offs. He would be in the field whether he’s needed or not, slaughtering Aragamis to their cores. “You should take her out... A suggestion.”

“Why should I?”

“Because you’re the only person in the branch, and probably in the whole world, that she trusts enough. Finding the solution is impossible if you don’t know the problem itself.”

Rather than going out, he’d rather stay in.


	38. If This Love Can Come Only Once

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Lenka...” Her voice came barely above a whisper that nearly slipped his hearing. “... you know I’m an emotional bomb, right?”
> 
> He nodded, not quite sure where this one would lead.
> 
> “Good, because I haven’t been very stable the past few days.”

Being Yuka meant suffering.

Being Yuka meant having to wake up at the foul stench at six forty-five in the morning of her first day-off in ages. It meant having to shudder at the hot breath grazing the crook of her neck. It meant enduring the heavy weight of an arm thrown around her waist. She fought the urge to indulge in the warmth and instead, slink her way out of the grip, but the blonde only found herself being dragged closer, the breaths becoming hotter and closer to her skin. There was a slight groan that registered to her ears, and when she felt a face burying itself against her hair, her face flamed. “Good morning, Soma,” she said, torn between grinning in amusement and frowning in displeasure. “I believe we have established that I don’t fancy spooning.”

The male groaned again in response.

“Also, you aren’t allowed to get drunk without supervision.” Well, mainly because he’s bad with alcohol and beer plus Soma is a combination that leads to... events he would eventually regret. “You’re going to have a terrible headache.” Her voice had sounded with concern rather than lecture now, as she sat still in his hold. The other refused to move, and if this continues, Yuka would have to wait until he wakes up and throws up on her bed sheets.

The thing is, Yuka hadn’t exactly been drinking for long, and the people she handled in the past were minors. None of them had gotten drunk to their asses and ran to her for nursing.

She might pass as a researcher at her age, but it doesn’t mean she knows the cure for a terrible hangover.

When he rolled over to his back, one arm now hanging on the side of the bed and the other tucked underneath his pillow, the blonde hurriedly slid out of bed and dashed for the hallway, not bothering to struggle out of the pastel-colored shirt she wore—the only thing she was wearing. Not to mention her hair was a bird’s nest and she’s steps gone from brushing her teeth.

“Sakuya, are you there?”

The door opened before half-lidded blue eyes. Their Vice Captain was the complete antonym of her, already dressed and bathed, judging from the towel she was using to dry her hair. Her instant reaction was surprise, of course. “A... _pleasant_ morning to you too, Yuka.”

The blonde scratched her head. “Uh, yeah. You know how to cure hangovers?” Considering she’d been with Lindow far longer than she probably knows—though if Lindow gets hangovers pretty often is a question yet to be answered, their veteran sniper might just have the string of advices she needs.

Brown eyes blinked. “Are you hangover?”

“Me? Ah, no. It’s going to be Soma. He’s drunk as balls in my bed.”

Her eyes grew wide at that, but Yuka’s vision was a little too hazy to recognize. Sakuya coughed into her hand and leaned on the frame of the door, now smiling helplessly. “There is no cure for a hangover, Yuka.” She then chuckled, noticing the other’s surprised expression. After a while of silence, she walked back in to her room, the blonde following promptly, and opened the fridge. “Drinking water helps a lot. There are sleep and throwing up too. You know that much, right?”

Yuka nodded, accepting the handful of water bottles her senior pushed into her arms. “But a _real_ cure.”

Sakuya chuckled once more. “I told you, there’s none. Though I believe there is a special thing that helps everyone. It’s different for each person, of course. Lindow used to tell me it becomes easier for him to get rid of his hangover when he knocks himself out the whole day.” Her lips pursed to a small smile at the fond memory. “I’m not sure what it is for Soma though. It wasn’t like he’d shown himself drunk very often to us before.”

After a short ‘good luck’, the sniper had ushered out of the door. Yuka sighed and marched back to her room, only to find her visitor still in the same position, except that his one leg was hanging off the side of the bed too. “Where’ve you been?” The words came out slurry as he forced himself to sit up. “‘z it fucking lab time already?” And he slumped forward, but she caught him, the water bottles sandwiched in between their chests.

“No, Soma,” she answered, propping him up to her shoulder so she could settle the water bottles on the bed. “It’s a rest day, and you’re terribly drunk.”

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Haven’t kissed you yet.”

“Do you want to be drunk enough to do something as foolish as that?”

He didn’t argue further and simple fell into silence that Yuka thought he had fallen asleep. As she was about to set him back on the sheets, his voice sent vibrations throughout her skin. “Keep talking.” When she asked about what, Soma lifted his head up, and she met a pair of glazed icy blue eyes. “... IRIS.”

She swallowed. “S-Soma, I-I’m not—” And her voice—high-pitched in the form of a yelp—filled the air, as the blonde found herself wrapped around a pair of arms and dragged down the cushions and sheets. When Yuka opened her eyes, nearly all of his weight was pressing down on her, locking her in place with his face on the crook of her neck. He really is drunk far beyond his own awareness, considering he’d come to this point.

“Yuka, do you trust me?” He asked.

Her lips pursed to a straight line, gaze falling at the spread of tan skin before her eyes. Silence danced around them in a mute melody, as her fingers found nest in white strands of hair.

Of course she does. She trusts him with her life. She trusts him more than she trusts her own self, her emotions, and her guts. She could throw herself off the highest plane and expect him to catch her without even a hint of doubt. Yes, yes, she does. More than he knows. Instead, she snickered, “Isn’t that a question you’re supposed to ask when you’re taking someone’s virginity?”

“Fucking hell.”

The blonde burst into laughter, but was cut midway when Soma spoke against her paling skin. “What is it all about? What does it have to do with the two New-Types? What does it have to do with _you_? Why are you keeping it from me?” For a moment, she began to wonder if he was really drunk, but then again, if he was sober, it would be the time he certainly wouldn’t be asking these questions. Soma would rather figure it out in silence, and surely throw a fitting rage once he finds out. Yuka started to smooth out the little tangles on his hair, smiling softly to herself. No, she can’t answer those questions just yet. But...

Soma had fallen utterly silent, the soft sounds of his breath barely reaching her ears. _He must have fallen asleep,_ she thought.

He’s drunk anyway; most likely to forget whatever happens here. Everything she would say and do will vanish to thin air once he is sober. Would it hurt? Would it count as one of her many mistakes in life? “Soma...” She nudged him with her shoulder. “Hey?” He didn’t budge. “Don’t fall asleep without drinking water, come on.” When he showed no visible signs of response, Yuka sighed.

“ _Tatoeba togireta sora ga mieta nara~_ ” Her fingers ran through strands of white hair they could reach. “ _Furueru boku no koe ga kikoeru no nara~_ ”

How long would she have to stay like this? “ _Barabara ni kudakeru hodo maiagare~ Hikisakareta kioku no hate naki tsubasa~_ ” Soma is a person wise enough to know that he has a low tolerance to alcohol, and he definitely is not one to make a fool out of himself either. Has his curiosity in regards to IRIS brought him to this state? Then... she is at fault, isn’t she?

Amidst the melody, the man at her side groaned softly and rolled to his side, freeing every bit of her from the strong grip. Not wanting to be locked into a corner like that again, Yuka slid out of the bed and padded towards the fridge in nearly silent footsteps. What greeted her were a cold yet gentle breeze and a handful more of canned beverages.

“Why’d you stop?” Soma half asked-half groaned from the bed.

The blonde simply rolled her eyes and resumed singing, still in the same lullaby-like tone from earlier. “ _Ano hi katariatta koto~ Itsumo waraiaeta koto~ Yomigaeru hi made tachiagaru dake~_ ” She gathered the chilled cans, about four or five of them now hugged to her chest and damn they were cold. They then ended up on her bedside table, standing now next to the water bottles she’d been waiting for Soma to drink.

She took one and pulled the tab open. “ _Kowashite motto motto boku wo kanjite~ Soko ni soko ni kimi wa imasu ka~ Senjou ni saku inochi yo moero moero~_ ” She smoothed her fingers on his hair once more, and he didn’t even complain about the contact. “ _Koroshite isso isso kuchihateru nara~ Tagire tagire hametsu no hate ni~ Kiseki yo tobisamaze tozasareta sora e~_ ” And a few more minutes after that, Soma was still, almost vulnerable and oblivious to every touches and affection he was being subjected into.

When her hand glided down his side though, she felt his muscles spasm under her touch. Yuka chuckled. “Can you blame me though?” Her hand moved back up to rest on his arm as she moved to peek on at him over the shoulder. “You don’t go waltzing into a lady’s room with no shirt on and drunk as hell. That’s extremely sinful.” She was now hugging him, leg curled over his hip, and he surprisingly hasn’t exploded. “ _Ichido dake no koi nara~_ ” Her voice nearly faltered as she laced her fingers in the spaces between his. This is bliss, and if they could stay like this forever... _Hahah,_ she laughed. _Well, isn_ _’_ _t that a pretty tall order?_ “ _Kimi no naka de asobou~_ ”

_If this love can come only once, let_ _’_ _s have some fun inside of you:_

“ _Wagamama no kisu o shiyou!_ ”

_Let_ _’_ _s share an indulgent kiss!_

“Is that an invitation?”

Yuka clung to Soma possessively, glaring daggers at the figure by the door. “I’m having _quality_ time with a rather tame wolf here; take your fucking leave.”

“There’s a slight misuse of word right there, Flower,” C chuckled, filling the room with that retarded fucking seal laugh. “Don’t you agree that ‘sexy’ is a much more fitting word than ‘quality’?” She cocked her head towards the silent male not-so-discreetly fuming and throwing sharp glares at her. “On another note, here you are, trying to run from Moonboy, only to get him drunk and... who knows?”

The female God Eater scowled as she untangled her limbs from the male. It was only then that she took notice of the case of beer cans the smaller girl was holding in her arms. Suspiciously, she arched up a brow. “I didn’t get him drunk,” Yuka replied. “He is the one that walked in here like a fucking tease and by any chance you did something with those beers in your hand, I’m not going to be at fault for what happens next.”

“Oh, running away from the responsibility before it’s even there,” the teal-haired girl snickered. “But trust me, Sunshine; I didn’t drug these _this time._ ” There was another string of laughter that slipped her lips, and Yuka’s frown deepened. “And hopefully I wouldn’t while you speak with Stargazer in his laboratory.” She watched as the other just casually slid off her shirt—”Oho, not even the slightest shame, huh? You seriously think your wolf dog is a decent one?”—and fitted herself into a black sniper coat. (She’s not a sniper though? But meh, who gives a fuck?) Yuka simply rolled her eyes at C’s question, her underwear disappearing from under her shorts. A few more minutes of fiddling and she was fresh and done.

By the time she was, C was already sitting at the edge of the bed, kicking her legs back and forth and grinning like a child. The beers she brought were already standing alongside her own. “Don’t do anything funny to piss him off, alright?”

“Come on, Sunshine. When did I ever?”

“Huh, check the dictionary on my shelf and look for the word ‘every time’.” After that, she was out of the room and was marching towards the doctor’s office. Speaking of him, why all of a sudden? On a day-off, nonetheless. She stays true to her medical schedule though, so there is no reason to reprimand her, right? Aside from that, there hadn’t been any weird occurrences she could define as alarming.

What could Doctor Sakaki want from her now?

Yuka breathed out the heavy air locked inside her chest, and she stepped into the office. Sakaki was on his computer as usual, and the faint voice of Shio randomly spewing out words registered in her ears. “There are still a few information that I have to confirm,” he began without even looking at her, “but I think I have the pieces sewn together. Now, if everything falls into place, then it all just makes sense.”

Blue eyes wandered at the free space on his desk and Yuka deliberately took the folders occupying it. “Are these the results of Shio’s laboratory tests?” She asked, tracing her fingers at the two dimensional print-outs.

“They are,” Paylor smiled. “Now, move on to the next folder.” He pressed a single key on his keyboard, and a different set of images flashed on the screen. “Do you see this?” A pen in his hand, he pointed at a certain area of the cranial scan. Yuka reluctantly nodded, swallowing. The man’s smile didn’t falter even for a slight second. “I’d like you to make a comparison with that one.” He cocked his head over to the other screen which showed a different cranial scan. They were actually visually similar, except for the scan number written on one corner of each images. The other one even had her name on it.

One of the scans was hers.

Yuka pretended to examine the images for a little while longer, the loud drumming of her heart inside her chest being a sound that suddenly seemed deafening. “There are... similarities in cell structure.”

“Oracle Cell structure,” he corrected. “Would you think that they are actually this complicated?”

“Doctor, please, where are you trying to get?”

“It wasn’t just this, Yuka. I found a handful more similarities in structure and activity apart from the cranial nerves and synapses. If that isn’t enough for you to pick up where I am headed, your last month’s results clearly indicated an accumulation of Oracle Cells in the chest area, and judging from the data, their activities continue.”

“Haven’t we discussed this? I am a human-Aragami. I—”

“Ichinose Yuka, you have an amount of Oracle Cells in your body that is far beyond the number even a hybrid could tolerate. I’m certain you already know of this, but the buildup of Oracle Cells I spoke of... It is beginning to resemble more and more of a—”

“A core, isn’t that right?” She bit her lip, and Sakaki’s smile faded. “This is IRIS, and is the reason why only Soma and I were the ones fit for the project. No human body could contain Oracle Cells like this other than those born with it.”

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “And so, you pushed him away from that pit and dived to it of your own volition. It doesn’t seem though that the very purpose of IRIS is as simple as that.”

“I’m pretty certain that’s that.”

“No, not quite.” Paylor returned to his seat, and gestured at the blonde to return the folders to his desk. “Do you know whose results I’ve been comparing yours to?” She fell silent. “If my hunch is correct, it simply means he had decided to place the fate of the world in his own hands.” He reclined back on his chair, lacing his fingers together. “Now, I have a question.”

She lifted her lowered head and looked at the doctor.

“Can I trust you to be on my side of the race?”

* * *

“I’m going to fucking murder that disgusting bitch.”

C chuckled from the side of the bed. “It doesn’t look like Flower has gotten any ideas yet, though. She still thinks your drunk as fucking hell, so why not keep the play a little bit longer?” The male snorted. “Just don’t get yourself drunk for real or busted and you’d survive.”

He grumbled slightly. What came up to him that he agreed with the bastard’s idea anyway? It wasn’t very often that he drowns himself in the effects of alcohol, and it’s even rarer for him to fake it. But he wanted—he _needed_ to hear it come right out of her lips. “What was that about Yuka running away from me?”

“Oh, that’s...” The pale girl grinned. “... just her avoiding her problems rather than dealing with them head on.” When Soma growled and threatened to murder her for such a stupid answer, the other only laughed. “That definitely would hurt less. After all, she feels like she had just forcefully been shaken from a dream.” She cocked her head over to his direction. “You know, the one you’ve put her in for so many years through shitty promises you don’t mean to keep?”

They both crashed to the floor, after the male God Eater viciously tackled him from his spot, hands tight around her neck.

“What the heck was that?!” Yuka nearly tripped as she dashed forward into her room at the loud sound of C being pummeled down. She crossed her arms at the sight that greeted her, tapping a foot like a mother scolding her children. “What did you do this time, Devil?”

The teal-haired girl, with her own hood off her head and her horns in the open for everyone to see, immediately pouted at the accusing woman. “Mom! He started it! I didn’t do shit!”

“Mum, she was fucking annoying,” Soma argued with a dead glare, back to his stupid game of playing drunk.

“You’re not supposed to call her ‘Mum’.”

“I’d call her whatever I fucking want to.”

“Oh my fucking god. C, you don’t mess with drunken people.” The blonde strode forward towards the two, ripping them from each other’s grasps and sending Soma back to a sitting position in the bed. He immediately went and buried his face to the crook of the female God Eater’s neck. “Seriously, don’t give him any more headache than the hangover would.” She reached for the bedside table and grabbed the can of beer she opened a while back.

The smaller girl snickered. “This bizarre situation intrigues me though. You two spent the night together, in a state where Moonboy isn’t quite aware of himself.”

Soma lifted his head from where he rested it and lazily scanned the environment he was in. “Ah, so this isn’t my room...” He mumbled, his head slumping back down on the blonde’s shoulder. That’s a fucking dumb thing to do and say but he can’t get busted now when Yuka thinks he’s genuinely alcohol-induced.

“—so, did you take his virginity?” The sudden question rang in his ears, and he saw Yuka’s ears blazed in a bright tomato red color. “Or do you plan to get him sobered up with a ‘Hey, you’re going to be a papa’ in a few minutes?” He made sure to note to himself that he will murder the bastard once this is over. Maybe stick her head in the ground and let her rot there for an eternity or two.

“Hey, not everyone gets lucky on the first try.”

“Yeah, well, it is unlikely to get that one in fifty two chances to get it on the first try now, is it?”

Are these bastards seriously having this exchange with him inches away from both of them? He could strangle them both at the same time for this nonsense. He bit his lip in an attempt to fight the urge of snapping back at them, lest he wishes to be caught red-handed. That would be even more fucked up. “You still haven’t answered the whole virginity thing though, Sunshine,” C started once more, much to Yuka’s embarrassment. “So, did he?” Underneath him, every inch of the blonde’s skin heated up. “Oh wait, DID YOU?!” Bastard went even as far as faking a gasp. Fucking bastard.

He expected her to pull something like ‘I would have if you hadn’t walked in’ as a response—after all, that’s most likely what she’ll say, right? Instead, Yuka tried to remain calm and answer in a straight face, “C, I totally didn’t.”

“But you want to,” the other shrugged. “You would have. In a heartbeat.” Yuka was so close to spouting an agreement. “Meh, give me a chance and I would have.”

_WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!_

She shuddered at the thought alone, and Soma might just puke. “Devil, that’s fucking gross. Stay away from my wolf dog.”

_Bitch, you_ _’_ _re equally fucking gross._

It was about time C steered the conversation. “You have plans on telling him of your death sentence?”

His breath hitched, feeling Yuka’s slender fingers in his hair once more. _Bitch, you better say fucking yes._ Feathery touches landed on the back of his neck and even to his shoulder blades. The blonde had fallen silent. “I can’t keep it forever anyway. I mean, the dam’s beginning to spill. Sooner or later, it’ll be out in the open basking in the sun.”

“What is?” He finally asked, allowing his voice to slur. She chuckled slightly and propped him up so that he now leaned on the headboard of the bed. To his surprise, she handed to him a new can of beer. _Fuck._ “How drunk do you want me to be?”

Her lips pursed together to a small smirk. “Drunk enough you’d kiss me?” At the side, C chuckled. Soma’s eyes wandered over to the pale girl, and he tried to glare as dangerously as he could without attracting the blonde’s attention. The bastard was not doing anything that would help. Heck, she was beckoning at him to take the offered can. Either way, Soma knew this would fuck him up. If he does take the can, he will end up genuinely drunk, and that’s fucking horrible. If he doesn’t, Yuka might figure out he’d been faking it the whole time and she will hate him forever. (Like hell, she can. But a part of him doesn’t want to risk it.)

He caught sight of C pulling her hood up once more, waving at them both before padding softly out of the room, a devious chuckle freely escaping her throat. Reluctantly, Soma reached out for the beer.

“I prefer talking about IRIS with a few cans of beer.”

To him it was: “I just want to make sure you’re actually drunk, a hundred-percent.”

* * *

The good news: he recovered from the hangover quicker than they both expected.

The bad news: he doesn’t remember a single significant shit after his third can.

Once again, C’s retarded laugh filled the four walls of his room. It only fueled his infuriation, and he had to fight back the urge to once again strangle the pale girl. He was pretty certain Yuka said important points, but all of them are now lost in time, and Soma had never felt so fucking stupid his whole life. “Looked like Sunshine had fun taking care of you though,” she snickered. “Most especially when you actually tried to kiss her.” He didn’t do that, but C found it delightful to pull his strings. “And spooning! I didn’t know you fancied doing those kinds of things!” He grumbled under his breath. This was the bastard’s plan all along—to use this kind of information against him.

He just dug himself an early grave.

“Tell me, Moonboy; was that part of the plan?” Soma scoffed at her. “But you did get her to tell you about the IRIS Project, so I can’t say it was all for naught. I would have loved to talk to you about it, but you’re back at square one, aren’t you?”

“So, you do know about it,” the white-haired male hissed.

“I always have.” She grinned. “In fact, I might just know even more than what Flower knows herself.”

Still, Soma couldn’t believe that was the part he had to miss. Though fragments of memories ingrained in his head whispered various words in Yuka’s voice—and even a song—they failed to make any sense to him. It was as if he was given a one-thousand-piece puzzle and the ones in his hands are only ten percent of it, probably even less.

It’s fucking irritating.

He pulled his hood up his head and left the room, C and her noisy mouth following him down the hallway and back to the doctor’s laboratory. Instantly, a voice cheerfully greeted him, “Yo!” Shio appeared to contemplate her own word, looking down and pouting slightly to herself. After a few moments, she lifted her head once more and smiled warmly at him, “Soma, good afternoon.” She then padded softly towards the male, presenting her head. “Did I do a good job?”

The white-haired male didn’t reply, but obliged to gently patting the Aragami girl’s head. He didn’t want to, but the teal-haired fucktard lifted his hand up. In return, Soma glared at the her, but C simply teased, “Well, isn’t that sweet?”

“She’s learned a lot of different words, don’t you agree?” Paylor smiled at the younger male from behind his desk. “Alisa, Kota and Lenka have been engaging her in conversations, and she improved greatly! Would you believe she has survived a dog-eat-dog world armed with such intelligence?”

“Like I give a fuck,” he spat.

Paylor only chuckled from his seat. “Did your date warrant anything valuable?” He then asked, peering at the male who now sat on one end of the couch with his arms crossed. “Sea here said you looked like you had a great time.”

“He had, until Yuka pulled out the beer for real and he got drunk,” the masked girl laughed. “Then he failed to store in his head everything else that they said and did.”

“... They said and did,” Shio echoed. “Cupcake!”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” The information broker then pointed accusingly at the male God Eater. “Look at what your girlfriend has been teaching her!”

“Teaching her! Teaching her!”

“Do I look like a fucking cupcake?!”

Soma arched up a brow, but decided the outburst did not warrant any kind of reply; especially not for him. Shio now clung to the teal-haired annoyance in a tight hug, snuggling comfortably like a delighted puppy, as the latter made futile attempts of escaping the affection. C’s demise, he found out, is an entertaining sight to see.

“Is that so?” The old man mused, and Soma found himself rather ticked off by the smile gracing the doctor’s face. It was the least bit comforting, causing him to shift slightly on his seat and avert his eyes from the man’s gaze. “Yuka surely is determined to keep herself guarded by her wall of thorns.”

Why does it seem like the old man knows exactly what the heck is that fucking ray of sunshine keeping behind her walls?

_“_ _After all, she feels like she had just forcefully been shaken from a dream. You know, the one you_ _’_ _ve put her in for so many years through shitty promises you don_ _’_ _t mean to keep?_ _”_

He gritted his teeth. That bastard definitely deserves the torturous affection the human-Aragami was subject her to.

“Ah, Soma-san...?”

Said male God Eater lifted his head slightly to meet his leader’s verdant eyes. Immediately, his initial reaction was to hiss and spat like he usually does. “Tch, why don’t you go ask Old Man Sakaki what’s going on yourself?” And when he did, the only answer Soma heard was, “Let’s just wait for Yuka to arrive and I shall explain the situation to you.” Lenka took the liberty of occupying the couch on the other side of the room, away from the seemingly pissed God Eater and the chaos that was C and Shio combined.

Sakaki was humming to a song Soma wasn’t quite familiar with, and apparently, it attracted enough of Shio’s attention that she left C and stood curiously next to the doctor, listening attentively to the melody. C, the fucking bastard that she is, now found delight in pulling his strings once more. It continued for what seemed like hours, until the sound of the door sliding open brought everyone’s eyes towards the entrance.

“Well?” Paylor smiled at the blonde.

“Smooth—and hello, Shio—though there had been minimal irregularities that occurred throughout the test,” she said. “And... according to the results... you were right.”

Lenka cocked his head at the statement. “Did it grow worse?”

Yuka, in response, shrugged. “I wouldn’t say worse, but there had been development.”

Soma had never felt so out of place. He had never felt so distant from her. He had never felt as though she was far beyond what he could grasp. In his vision, she was, rays of sunlight and all, disappearing into the darkness. “What are they talking about?” He whispered at the devil who had tucked herself under his arm.

“Oracle Cell reaction, what else?” The nonchalant voice next to him replied. “You’re so dumb and dense you can’t even figure that one out?” The male growled and elbowed the annoyance, earning a fit of laughter which broke the string of conversations between the three.

Sakaki coughed to his fist. “To begin, I would like express my gratitude. Thanks to your efforts, Shio’s knowledge and intelligence have developed. She’s practically at the adult level now.”

“I did it...” The Aragami girl smiled up at the three of them, “Thank you! Thank you!” And repeatedly bowed at the God Eaters present in the room.

“Although, her speech patterns haven’t changed. Now then, I didn’t ask you to stop by to scare you or anything, but it’s truly a pressing problem—obtaining Shio’s food.” There was an audible “Huh?” that slipped past the raven-haired God Eater’s lips. “I had a stockpile of cores I’d asked you to gather for her, but just the other day, I completely ran out.”

Soma smirked and turned towards the blonde God Eater. “Looks like you have a rival in terms of appetite.”

“Oh yeah,” she frowned in return. “I’m so hungry I could eat you whole.”

“Wow, Flower, that’s pretty kinky.”

“Sh-shut up! What are you even doing here?!”

Paylor dismissed the argument easily and resumed talking. “You see, the thing is... I’d like you to take Shio out on a date. Give her a full-course dinner. I’m counting on you!”

“What? Why do I have to go too?” He turned accusingly at the First Unit Leader, glaring madly. “Don’t accept jobs without consulting me!”

“Y-Yuka-san said it would be a good idea...” The younger male defended.

The female in question shrugged, causing Soma’s accusing glare to shift to her direction. “You and your fucking ideas...”

“Ah,” Paylor chuckled, much to Soma’s aggravation. “There is it, the authority of the leader, and the influence of a senior. You can’t really refuse this time, can you?”

“Damn you...” The white-haired male hissed in defeat. “Damn you all...”

* * *

Lenka wasn’t certain what to make of his female senior’s expression. That wistful smile was drawn across her face as she stared rather absent-mindedly at the horizon. “You’re surprisingly calm about this, Yuka-san,” he told the other. “You’re not mad about Soma-san going on a date with someone else?”

She laughed, though it was easy to tell the absence of life in her voice. “I’m not _that_ possessive of him.” Her fingers ran through her hair, combing them away from her face as the wind rushed past them. “Besides...” Her smile disappeared, just as the afternoon sun hid behind a cluster of clouds. “... never mind.” It seemed the more he engaged into a conversation with the veteran female, the further her eyes sank into a bottomless abyss. “There is nothing to worry about anyway, is there? I mean, Lenka-kun is my date for today! I’d be perfectly fine even if I go haywire.”

Somewhere in the middle, he sensed the pain in her voice, and a part of him wished he didn’t start this exchange by asking.

“Lenka...” Her voice came barely above a whisper that nearly slipped his hearing. “... you know I’m an emotional bomb, right?”

He nodded, not quite sure where this one would lead.

“Good, because I haven’t been very stable the past few days.”


	39. Same Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do give it a shot, Soma,” she spoke again, turning her head to now face him. “Not like you’re going to lose anything if you accept that friendship.” A smile graced her lips, but he found it neither endearing nor assuring. Another breeze whipped past them and she tucked strands of sunny blonde hair behind her ear.
> 
> Why did it felt like taking a step further into that suggestion... would make him lose everything he has now?
> 
> “I don’t need new friends,” he grumbled with a frown, but Yuka only kept her smile. “You’re not leaving me anyway.”His eyebrows furrowed together in an expression he wasn’t sure and aware of. “... Are you?”

“Huh, Fallen Spark Zygotes and Ogretails are present in the area, too.” The blonde’s blue eyes travelled across the area, lingering a wee bit longer at the direction of the Chi-you whose wings were crackling with lightning. Her gaze returned to the three God Eaters hurling their God Arcs out of the jeep. “... But we’ll be able to clear them out in no time, Doc.”

Sakaki’s delighted voice resonated from her commlink. “Wonderful! The more food we can serve her, the better!”

_“_ _Good, because I haven_ _’_ _t been very stable the past few days._ _”_

Lenka’s eyes had been on her since she left those words hanging in the air. Though she wasn’t exactly sure how this mission might go, considering those outbursts are as unpredictable as they are, it was always better to take precautions, right? She smiled to herself, leaving the spot from where she was observing the Aragamis, and returned to the team. “We have a few uninvited guests, Leader.” The young male turned to her direction with questioning eyes. “A couple of Fallen Zygotes in Spark variant and some Ogretails hanging around in the end of the bridge.” Her attention spun towards Shio who was bent down, curiously staring at the core area of their leader’s God Arc.

“Before anything else, we have to consider Shio first,” the raven-haired male began. “She’s still an Aragami, so we have to be extra cautious of the items we use around her, like a stun grenade. Any kind of traps might be bad for her too.”

On his side, Soma snorted, “She lived this long all by herself. What’s a small battle going to hurt?”

“Not like we know everything about her though,” Kota shrugged, earning a glare from the male senior. “Isn’t that why we’re here? To get her something to eat and observe her for the doctor?”

“Let’s just not fuck this up and get back. How’s that for everybody?” Yuka deliberately interrupted. “The sooner we finish, the earlier I can get back to my bed.”

They would have stridden forward into the field if there wasn’t something that momentarily took their attention. Shio happily called out a “Flower!” and brandished before the perplexed blonde a blade as tall as the pale girl is—give and take a few centimeters. It resembled a knife more than any other weapon, its structure mainly appearing as a web of design, joints stretching out to form the body of the blade itself. “Did I do well?”

“I-Is that a God Arc?!” Their favorite redhead exclaimed in a mixture of shock and confusion. “Where did you get that? How did you—?!”

It does look like one, but lacked the core their God Arcs possess, and the gun and shield areas. Still, Yuka wouldn’t be surprised if their Aragami friend does even more surprising exploits later today. She mused, walking towards the smaller female and patting her head. “You sure did, Shio.”

In return, the Aragami girl smiled and padded towards Soma. “Yuka said I did a good job! A good job!”

Lenka’s eyes were on her once again. “She’s really close to the two of you, isn’t she?” He noted with a small smile on his face. “It looks to me that Shio enjoys your company more than anybody else’s.”

“Oh,” the blonde smiled in return, though her gaze was wistful. “Probably because Soma and I—being what we are—are the closest ones she could find similar to her. She must have had enough of Aragamis that are vicious and devoured everything at sight. Dr. Sakaki did say her bias inclination differs from theirs too. The two of us... We are Aragamis and yet human in appearance, just like her. She had been craving for companionship for who-knows-how-long. It’s somewhat like living in a jungle for so long, surrounded by beasts and wild animals. By the first time you meet someone who looks similar to you, speaks the way you do, acts as you do, surely, your initial reaction is to befriend them, right?”

Their leader shrugged. “Well, that does make sense.”

“I’m glad,” she laughed, gaining everyone else’s attention. Shio cocked her head curiously at the delightful sound. “I usually just end up spouting nonsense most of the time.”

Kota was the one who knocked them back to the task at hand. “So, should we start?” He asked, and Shio agreed with a cheerful chirp of “I’m ready to eat!”

As they began to approach the group of smaller Aragamis though, there appeared a rather different gleam in her round, golden eyes. Her lips held a fond and excited smile the blonde had not seen before, especially not from the Aragami girl. She figured if Shio had ears and tail like that of a dog (considering she fancied head pats so much, she might as well be compared to one in terms of behavior), the ears will be perked up in excitement and the tail will be wagging fast behind. It didn’t take while for the smaller girl to notice the staring eyes. “Flower~” She said, causing the other to role her eyes at the nickname that stuck. “Ride...?”

Yuka, and everybody else, blinked.

“Ride!” She repeated, flicking her eyes to the lone Ogretail feeding with the Zygotes.

“Please don’t tell me you tried to ride—” Yuka paused, much to the team’s surprise, her gaze suddenly falling blank. “... one of... those...” What was this sudden tremor inside her? It was almost as if she was injected with epinephrine. It came from nowhere and shook her chest, scrambling all of her thoughts in the process. There was... nothing wrong with Shio trying to ride an Ogretail. It was natural, for she once had a mind like a child, and to a child, many things are toys. It wasn’t that. There was something else that sent each and every one of her nerves trembling with fear. She pulled out a deep breath in hopes of dispelling the quake within her, but this time, it failed her.

What the fuck is wrong with her?!

_Run._

Where?

_To me. In my arms, child._

It was as if in the darkness, a pair of open arms was inviting her to rest; as if a mother was welcoming her child from the unworldly stress of life.

But comforting warmth made her stay where she stood and a voice so faint sent her thoughts back in order. The blonde blinked, finding light around her. “Are you okay?” Kota’s voice reached her ears. “You were spacing out for a second there...”

“O-Oh... was I?” She forced her lips to a goofy smile. “Sorry, I just... remembered something.” Her gaze flickered towards everyone, finding them with their confused stares.

She didn’t realize Soma held an irritated expression until he hissed, “You could let go of her fucking hand now.” Instantly, the female God Eater felt the warmth dissipate, and it would be a lie to claim that she wasn’t slightly disappointed.

“L-Let’s get going,” their leader finally said, walking ahead of everybody else.

Halfway through the map, the Zygotes spotted them, gliding smoothly towards their direction and sending a ball of lightning careening towards the God Eaters. They scrambled away from the incoming attack, and gunshots filled the dry air. One of the flying Aragamis crashed to the ground after a few shots, and Soma dived into the scene, sending his blade down to the Aragami’s body and leaving only a mutilated carcass on the bare ground.

Yuka skidded to one side, crashing her body against the steel railings of the bridge in an attempt to dodge another Zygote wheeling towards her. Before the enemy could find any of her open spots, she fired, blasting its huge purple eye with a divine bomb bullet. The single shot sent it down to the ground and Lenka took the liberty of devouring its core straight from the gaping mouth as his senior helped herself back to her feet. It only took her a few good seconds when the blonde was pummeled to the ground once more, everyone who had seen it suddenly panicking. Yuka struggled to keep her God Arc between her body and the Ogretail’s mouth, before a stalwart swing ripped the Aragami entirely from her body.

She saw the Ogretail collided with an incoming Zygote and they both fell to the ground. “Keep your eyes on the fucking field,” the white-haired God Eater growled at her as she was taken in the arm and pulled up, much like a rag doll. He didn’t say anything else afterwards, shifting his attention to the direction of the Aragami girl who, surprisingly, had summoned a predator from the God Arc she conjured.

It was all bliss, until consecutive electric bombs they failed to see swept all of them off their feet. Thankfully, a Fallen Chi-You’s attacks aren’t as powerful as a Vajra’s and they weren’t strong enough to paralyze and immobilize any of them. Soma was the first to recover from the blow, leaping off his feet to strike the avian’s wings. It didn’t do that much damage though, and the Aragami recovered quickly, making an attempt to swat its assailant away.

“Kota!” Lenka yelled out, his voice rising far louder than the gunshots. “Aim for its head! Yuka-san, crush the lower body with bomb bullets! We’re going to unbind the body!”

“Roger!” The pair said in unison as they dispersed.

Lenka jumped into the chaos, sliding right past the avian Aragami as it tried to make a grab for him, sending to its torso a single blaze bullet through Impulse Edge. The perturbed Aragami staggered backwards in surprise, receiving a crushing blow to its chest. Before it could make any recovery, a barrage of homing bullets zoned in straight to its head, leaving the Fallen Chi-You with no chance to counter. Kota gave Shio a grin and a high-five.

Seizing the opportunity, Yuka released her God Arc’s predator, allowing its fangs to clamp against the Aragami’s folded wings. She expected it to crack and break like how normal Chi-Yous’ do, ridding it of the ability to fly, but its wings unfurled with a bit of an effort, sending the attacking predator back to where it came from. In split second, the Aragami was on its feet again, beckoning at the God Eaters in front of it. It swooped down to their direction, and Soma greeted it halfway with a single Charge Crush, sending its body in such force that it buried itself into the ground. There was the sound of Lenka loading reserve bullets into his gun, and bore smoldering holes to the Fallen Chi-You’s lower body.

Kota stayed true to the orders given to him, waves and waves of homing bullets escaping from the nozzle of his own Assault gun. The bullets struck the head in a flash of red like a bull’s eye.

“Shio!” The blonde called out, but the Aragami had already stood up faster than they anticipated, its knees bent and its fists balled. It launched towards them condensed balls of electricity, one after that other, and the final one, a ball with a diameter about its height, straight towards the one it considered the most threatening, their leader.

Out of panic, their redhead gunner threw in a stun grenade.

“My eyes!” Shio cried, to their surprise.

“I-ah... shouldn’t have done that.” His figure shrunk under Soma’s intense glare.

On another note, their leader was unharmed, thankfully. “Shio, are you alright?” The blonde asked as she knelt beside the Aragami girl rubbing her eyes. In the background, the air was filled with noises coming from the shots being fired, blades breaking through steel-like flesh, and pained, inhuman howls. Shio blinked twice as she looked up at the other female.

“It stung... Ouch.”

Yuka raised her shield, deflecting a ball of electricity thrown to their direction. “It’ll wear off, don’t worry.” _Lesson number one: stun grenades are a no-no._

When she brought blue eyes back to the battlefield, Yuka found the Fallen Chi-You kneeling to the ground, a blanket of Oracle Cells keeping it in place. The boys had somehow managed to trap it in, now mercilessly striking the defenseless Aragami in its weak points.

A Charge Crush from her Knightfall broke the steel plates stitched in its limbs, pieces of it falling to the ground like fragments of a shattered glass. Blood was everywhere. The Aragami growled in both pain and wrath, fully escaping its binds.

It wasn’t fair that it was taking four God Eaters and an Aragami girl to take down a Fallen Chi-You when she could easily turn a Chi-You to a corpse in swift two moves. There was an explosion to her right, and then Kota was eating dust. Another one erupted to her left, crashing Lenka right into Soma whose Charge Crush was almost ready. The two males tumbled across the bridge, feet away from the Aragami. At that point, Yuka hauled the dazed Shio up and ran.

The others got up pretty quickly and returned to assaulting the Fallen Chi-You. Homing bullets landed on either its head or broken wings, while its body was tormented with restless blade attacks. “Do you feel better now?” Yuka asked the Aragami girl as she placed her back on the ground.

“No more flash... No more.”

Well, she can’t promise that. Hopefully, Shio gets used to the stun grenades like every God Eater. The only thing she could offer to the pale girl was a gentle head pat, and then they both resumed battle.

The Fallen Chi-You was in rage, countering their every assault with quicker attacks. It was good that they managed to break its wings, as its glide attack is quite a powerful one when unblocked. Yuka found herself only being able to attack in between its own, a lucky crushing blow here and there, whatever part her blade could reach. The Aragami staggered once more upon receiving consecutive attacks to its chest, courtesy of Lenka, Soma, and herself.  At its point of confusion, Shio stepped in and allowed her own predator—which is snow white in color Yuka nearly felt envy rising up from the put of her stomach—to clamp down right on the Aragami, further ripping even more of the stitched steel plates from its limbs. It howled in pain and made a run, as the remaining God Eaters watched in awe as the unusually-colored predator devoured the flesh like it was nothing.”I still can eat,” she then said, turning to face the rest of the team.

* * *

“Okay, I’m ready to eat!” Shio chirped happily like an excited child, as they were surrounded with Aragami corpses. She was about to lunge for the motionless body, but then stopped halfway, much to everybody else’s confusion. “Oh, wait!”The pale girl straightened, flashing a bright smile. “Soma! Yuka! Come eat!”

It caught the two God Eaters by surprise that neither of them managed any kind of response. Soma glared threateningly at the smaller female, but she was unnerved. “Whoa, whoa, Shio,” Kota finally said. “We humans don’t eat Aragami, okay?” The white-haired male turned away with a huff, while Lenka nodded in agreement.

Shio blinked. “Huh? But...” She cocked her head to the side, an innocent smile decorating her face. “Their Aragamis say they want to eat.” She turned her head to the direction of the blonde. “Aren’t you _really_ hungry, Flower~?”

“No, I’m afraid I’m not, Shio,” the other answered. “Besides, Soma doesn’t fancy his meal raw.”

“What’s a raw?” She asked, blinking in curiosity. “Can I eat it?”

The three of them chuckled at the silly question. At this point, the Aragami girl shifted her attention towards the glaring God Eater. “Soma...?”

His glare took a level sharper and he gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to swing his own God Arc at the Aragami girl. In an instant split second, he exploded, taking them all aback. “Don’t give me that! You little...” He caught himself. “I’m not a monster like you! And you!” His angry glares traveled towards the unfazed blonde.”Stop fucking stoking!” They exchanged vehement and taut stares until he himself receded, turning his back on concerned eyes.

“H-Hey...” Kota took a step forward in an attempt to console him, but then hesitated.

“Never mind, just...” Soma made sure not to make any kind of contact. “...stay out of my way.” He began to walk away from the team in silence, like he usually does.

Lenka sighed, his shoulders slumping down. “I think you should... go after him, Yuka-san.” After all, that is the best course of action, isn’t it? To his surprise though, the blonde in question simply watched as the other grew distant, only returning to her senses upon Shio passing by. In nimble steps, the Aragami girl strode forward.

Yuka wanted to interfere. She wanted to be the one to comfort him. She wanted to be the one to talk to him. That’s what she’d been doing for the past years; what’s stopping her? Soma needed somebody who understands him; a person like him who would stand by his side even if he shuts the whole world out. _“_ _I_ _’_ _m so happy I found you, Soma._ _”_ The words were faint in her ears, and yet the wound it casted in her heart was deep. Despite Shio’s words, Soma continued walking.

“You’re right, Lenka,” she finally said.”I can’t really keep him to myself now, can I? That’s just extremely selfish, and... He’d never be happy with that.” She gave Shio a quick pat in the head, and walked after the male God Eater.

She can’t be selfish, because his world doesn’t revolve on her alone. There is a much better place for him if only he opens his doors; a brighter place with people who genuinely cares for him.

 _Paradise,_ she thought.

“Leave me alone.”

Regardless of the threat, Yuka continued to stride forward until her forehead laid flat on the small of his back. Her hands traveled through the expanse of fabric-covered skin, tracing the lines of muscles they could feel. Even if everything around her had only been fake, at the very least, Soma—the person he grew up with in the reality of this shitty world, and had been her lifeline all this time—was real. He was real and her every touch could verify that.”You seriously need to calm your shit down,” she chuckled against the blue fabric of his jacket, her arms snaking around his torso. “No one is lumping you in the same place as Shio. We are similar... but also different.”

A low grumble rose from his throat, and she chuckled once more. “They don’t understand a damn fucking thing, Yuka.” And by ‘ _they_ ’, he meant all of them. None of them knew how hard the last eighteen years had been. Tough and difficult weren’t even fit enough to describe his life. Her warmth disappeared, and Soma found her standing by his side. The heated breeze kissed every inch of her skin, clearing her face of strands of hair that were out of place.

Her eyes... looked different... from earlier.

 _Fuck that,_ he growled to himself.

“You should... give Shio a chance,” she then said, causing his head to flick back to her direction. “I don’t think she wants nothing more than being your friend.” A small smile appeared in her lips as she stared down at the ground.

“She’s differe—”

“She’s just as lost as we are, trying to a find a place where she’ll fit in.” Her eyes fell back to the view of the horizon. Even when his hand moved to wrap around hers in search for that warmth once more, she didn’t stir.

Soma had felt rejection more than once in his life, but they never hit him as hard as this one did. Yuka remained still, and there was just the growing cold between them. It wasn’t the same coldness that creeps up his skin—it wasn’t the temperature. The blonde beside him was motionless, fondly smiling at the ends of the waters—so close and at the same time, so distant.

“Do give it a shot, Soma,” she spoke again, turning her head to now face him. “Not like you’re going to lose anything if you accept that friendship.” A smile graced her lips, but he found it neither endearing nor assuring. Another breeze whipped past them and she tucked strands of sunny blonde hair behind her ear.

Why did it felt like taking a step further into that suggestion... would make him lose everything he has now?

“I don’t need new friends,” he grumbled with a frown, but Yuka only kept her smile. “You’re not leaving me anyway.”His eyebrows furrowed together in an expression he wasn’t sure and aware of. “... Are you?”

She didn’t answer, at least not verbally. Instead, her hands traced the curves of his jaw, tender fingertips resting on the spot below his ear, a few strands of hair caught in the gaps between. Her lips pursed and stretched to a much wider smile, the twinkle in her eyes mirroring the billions of stars in the galaxy. They stared up at him straight in his own eyes, and his breath got caught in his throat. “You’re not leaving me, are you?” He repeated, the worry in his voice being masked by the tightening of his jaw. “Answer me, dammit.”

A gentle force obliged him to lean forward until he found her lips on his in a kiss he didn’t even see coming. It lasted for probably more than a few seconds, his brain—hardwired to think straight and fast—found no words to say until it dawned to him that she was doing it again.

Not quite.

It was different.

It wasn’t a quick one that boiled his nerves, or one that brought a stinging pain to his lips. She isn’t walking away with either a triumphant grin or a teasing smirk. At least not yet.

Chaste.

As soon as he received the opportunity to fill his lungs with air, “What the fuck...” he said breathlessly against her own damp lips. “What the... fuck.” Her forehead pressed against his in a light _bump_ and she chuckled, the sound reverberating through the very little space they shared at the moment. Genuine, delighted, alive.

Silence settled and her whisper was as clear as broad daylight to his ear.” _Ich liebe dich..._ ”

And he found himself dumbfounded, watching her back as she slowly walked away from him.

* * *

The Den had a roof deck Yuka was beginning to love. It was a nifty place to be, with grow beds blooming in low flowering plants and a panoramic view of the Outer Ghetto. The breeze left mellow touched on ivory skin and a contradicting heavy sigh slipped from her lips. She slumped on the cold metal railings lining the deck, watching the ground below with half-lidded eyes. People were moving about, with children running around and guards on scout duty.

At least they were at peace.

Her gaze fell on the glimmering silver at her ring finger, and after minutes of second thoughts, she slid it off and held it up under the sun. The ring glistened as the warm sunrays hit, and she choked back a sob. The winds made another soft whisper against her skin, and her lips parted. “ _Cause what I don_ _’_ _t understand... is why I_ _’_ _m feeling so bad now, when I know it was... my idea. I could_ _’_ _ve just denied all the truth and lied, and why am I the only one standing stranded... on the same ground_ _—_ _?_ ”

“Ah, I kind of figured you would be here.”

Yuka simply smiled at the sky, and chuckled softly. The footsteps of their raven-haired leader grew louder in her ears and it didn’t take long for him to now stand at her side, staring at the view below them. “This is a nice place to think. Not many God Eaters visit this spot. There are flowers growing too, and I can watch the ghetto from here. Plus, it’s quiet. I could stay here watching everyone all day and I wouldn’t find myself bored.” The gates on the far end opened, and a military jeep strode in. “How did you figure I’d be here though?”

Lenka leaned forward to the railings. “I climb up this place to think too.” She didn’t buy such simple answer and stayed in silence to wait for further elaboration. “After you had that talk with Soma-san, you became much more silent than before we arrived there.”

She wasn’t used to anybody noticing the slightest change in her behavior. Throughout her life, she had gotten used to being the one adjusting for others; keep a happy disposition in her life and suffer when she’s all by herself. Meeting people who could see through her mask was one thing she wasn’t prepared for. The younger God Eater must have taken notice of her silence, and so, he asked, “Is everything alright?”

She twirled the ring between her thumb and index finger. “I was just... wondering if I made the right choice.”

“Do you regret the choice you made?”

“No, but... I don’t know,” the blonde admitted, clasping the little accessory in her hand. “It just feels like I’m the only one who has been holding on this long. Heck, I might have been the only one who’d been hoping—who’d been so afraid that one day, I’ll just wake up and things aren’t how they were before I slept.”

“That sudden change... is terrifying, isn’t it?” The other said. “It’s like having all of hell come crashing to you, and you realize the world you’ve been in isn’t exactly the one you knew it was.” Her gaze flicked to the younger God Eater, and she caught sight of that wistful stare Lenka was giving the blank and solid armored wall. His hands clenched into fists. She wanted to ask for deeper details, but was beaten to it as he continued speaking, “But it doesn’t really matter what choice you made. As long as you have a valid reason why, and it is yours, then it can only be the right one.”

 _Lenka has a nice smile,_ she thought, wordlessly staring at the younger God Eater, struck by the statement he left in between them. She never expected to hear that kind of answer, especially not from someone younger than her. C would have told her that it was a big mistake she made, and most likely pull another stunt of emotionally playing with them.

The question is, did she really want to let it turn this way? No, of course not. Yuka never wanted to be separated from Soma. Even if their relationship remained what it had always been, she’d stay by his side if given the chance to. She would be there looking out for him.

But that’s not what’s for the best.

 _This_ is.

A few more minutes of mutual silence and the raven-haired male pulled his gaze back from the sight of the other. He brought his attention instead to the community below them, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry,” he added meekly, cheeks blooming with rosy coloration. “I said too much.”

She chuckled in return. “No, no, you’re right. It could only be the right choice.”

He smiled once more, and they both stood there silently, greeted with another gentle breeze.

****

“C, I _can_ _’_ _t_ stand this... I _won_ _’_ _t_ stand for this.”

The pale girl cocked her head to the direction of the voice with an ‘ _hm_ ’. She crossed her arms and pursed her lips. “And what are you going to do about this current situation? I’m curious, little Fate, as you just keep showcasing your similarities with her.” Her statement ended in a chuckle. As she looked up, she found round blue eyes focused on her very figure. “Do whatever you please. Just don’t forget you might regret it sixteen years later.”

The other visibly flinched at the pale girl’s response, and she lowered her head, as if weighing in any possible consequences. “Will you take the blame for me?”

“Sure thing, little Fate.”

“Thanks.”

* * *

“What the fuck—”

Soma was at the verge of losing his cool, as he glared down at the red light flashing right before his eyes. Grunting once more, he lifted a hand and pressed a finger on the buttons, but the system still refused to accept the access code, banning the male God Eater from his own room.

“Bloody fucking bastard...” He hissed, punching the security lock, not too powerful to break the device but strong enough to input a bunch of random buttons. Once again, it flashed red. “I’m going to fucking get you for this.” Muttering curses under his breath, he left the door.

It was not a lie to claim that Yuka nearly leaped out of her bed when her door slammed open, when she was silently going through the records of her father. “Goodness, Soma!” She cried, watching him invite himself in and slump down on the side of her bed. There was the sound of his shoes hitting the floor with a ‘ _thud_ ’ and he stretched his legs across the bed.

 _Her_ bed.

He ripped himself off his blue jacket and tossed the clothing to one side of the room. It made a messy landing on a chair. A little while later, his shirt and tie dropped to the floor. “Uhm, Soma...?” Her voice somehow managed, just as the dark-skinned male was fluffing up her extra pillow and afterwards lied down. “Trust me, I don’t mind you walking in and stripping all of a sudden without any words, but ahh... tell me what’s going on?”

“Your bullshit of a Cupcake locked me out of my own room.”

She placed the recorder gently on her bedside table, right at the foot of her night lamp. “Remind me to thank her the next time I see her.” She slid under the cotton white blanket and pulled it up just right below their shoulders. “But since you came here of your own accord, don’t blame me for whatever happens, alright?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be running away from me?”

Right, because everybody wants to. They want to avoid him as much as they could. His very name is synonymous to danger and death; he’s not surprised. Now Yuka wants to do the same too. She wants to leave him.

“Please,” she chuckled, snuggling closer to him until she was close enough that Soma could feel silken locks brushing against his lips and her warm breath ghosted over his tan skin. “If I wanted to run away from you, I would have fled back to Europe and never show up again. Or... something else.”

At least she looked fine. After the... _kiss_ from earlier, Soma thought she would have started acting differently, or refuse to breath in the same space as he does. On another note, Yuka had not been clear with her own actions either. “It’s only for tonight,” he grumbled, eyelids fluttering close. “Then I’ll pummel that bloody fucktard to the ground.”

She hummed in what appealed to him was approval. “Don’t overdo it, though. I still want to keep my Cupcake around. She diligently reminds me I’m not as sane as I believe.”

He nuzzled the locks of blond hair comfortably underneath the dim light of the room. Yuka’s breathing had gone shallow, and she lied still in his arms. At the very least... she’ll remain as the one constant thing in his life, because Yuka can’t possibly leave him.

His eyes shot open at the thought, and he ended up glaring angrily at nothing in particular—only at the space that existed right before him. “Can you...?” He whispered, though he didn’t expect to receive a reply. The female God Eater was already fast asleep. “I never get answers from you, bloody hell.”


	40. Presentiment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “She’s gone,” Alisa noted in a low voice, breathless at the aftermath of the chaos. “Sakuya, do you have any idea where she could have gone?”  
> The said female and their unit leader were just approaching the scene. “I wish I do,” the veteran sighed. “But considering that she fought a Prithvi Mata and encountered an Ouroboros, I wouldn’t be able to assure any of you that she is not, at the very least, injured. Those discarded pill cases are enough evidence. If she went somewhere, it wouldn’t be very far.”
> 
> He would have been relieved to hear that, if it weren’t for the possibility that the God Eater in question is sustaining terrible injury. Why does she have to be so much of a problem for him anyway? 
> 
> “Well, aren’t we a little late to the party? Sadly though, you just lost her.”
> 
> He greeted the Devil with a punch square in the face.

It was a peaceful morning that Yuka was thankful for, as warm sunlight poured from the large glass windows surrounding the cafeteria. The place was empty, save for a few God Eaters grabbing their own cups of coffee-on-the-go, before proceeding to their respective duties. A few smiled at her on their way past, and she politely returned the greeting, afterwards sinking deeper into her seat and instead shifting her attention towards the window.

 _... why did I kiss him again?_ The blonde smiled sheepishly, wrapping her fingers around the warm cup. _I really just wanted to... Heck, I want to do it again._

“Yuka-san, can I... talk to you?”

The blonde looked up at their young redhead gunner who was looking rather... constipated? He was obviously avoiding her gaze, biting his lip and hands behind his back. “Did you piss him off already at...” She glanced at the large digital clock flashing the time. “... quarter before eight in the morning? Don’t tell me you placed a handful of salt on his hot chocolate?” Soma _hates_ even the slightest change in taste of his hot chocolate.

“N-No, it’s not that!” He sighed softly, taking the seat across the older God Eater. “I haven’t even seen him today! The thing is... after you left to talk to him, Lenka told me about...” He peered at the other from under his lashes. “...about you and Soma-san; what happened during his birth.”

Her lips rounded to a soft ‘oh’ and her eyes fell to the still fluid filling her cup. “Is that so...?” She managed.

Kota’s shoulders dropped, and he continued talking, “I kind of understand where his grumpy attitude is coming from now.” This child grew up with a family that loved him; Yuka doubted the meaning of ‘understand’ even crossed his mind. Even if he tried to put himself in their shoes from years back, there’s no way he could actually get a gist of how tough it had been. Regardless of that, she appreciated the concern their young gunner shows. “I’ve been... a dick to him a lot of times before. Could you... tell him sorry on my behalf? I feel like he’s going to punch me square in the face if I personally say it.”

“It would be worth it though,” the blonde laughed, just as the other pursed his lips to a pout. “But I’ll relay the message to him, when I get the chance to talk to him again.”

“Did you argue?”

“Oh, no. It’s just that... Soma has his hands full the past days,” she answered. “So do I. Our schedules just kind of clash pretty often and it’s always either one of us or both of us are out in the field.” _In addition to that, I_ _’_ _m pretty much fucking up our relationship lately. I still want to kiss him again though, dammit._

Kota frowned slightly and leaned onto his seat. “You and Soma-san... really had a different approach in your lives, no?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, even though you pretty much had the same past, you’re like total opposites now.” The older God Eater stifled a laughter which caused embarrassment to blaze in the redhead’s cheeks, lighting them up in a bright red color. “I-I mean, he’s all grumpy and mean! And then— and then there’s you! Friendly, approachable and really nice! Err, except when you just go out there and slay whatever with that dead look on your face.”

This time, she really did burst into laughter, further sinking the other into his own embarrassment. “Thank you for the compliments. I was close enough to buying you something until you said the last part.” She indulged in the site of Kota’s tomato-red face before taking another sip of her coffee. “No one’s the same, Kota. Put yourself, or Alisa, or Sakuya into our shoes back then and you’d all have different approaches. It’s just that... Soma decided to carry the burden in his shoulders, and isolate himself from everyone. We never had friends while we were growing up, Kota. Heck, we were treated like lab rats—not children. Then suddenly, we were thrown in this society filled with people, without even a manual on how we’re supposed to make ourselves fit in. To make matters worse, people around him started dying, and naturally, Soma takes the blame even when he’s not at fault.” Her expression softened. “I, on the other hand, got into an accident during Soma’s first mission.”

“Wait, you didn’t become one the same time he did?”

“I haven’t told the story yet?”

“You two sure look like you are having a nice chat. How come we weren’t invited?”

Both immediately scooted closer to the glass windows to give room for new company. Alisa took the liberty of seating beside the female God Eater, Lenka occupying the seat across her. It didn’t escape the blonde’s keen sight when her dear Russian discreetly sent a glare towards the redhead. “Please don’t tell me I’m in charge of buying you three breakfasts now. As you’re aware, C had just swept nearly all of my cash.” It was baffling how they found such terrible news as hilarious. “Anyway,” Yuka returned her attention back to Kota. “Yeah, I didn’t become a God Eater the same time Soma did. I fell into paralysis, you see.” All three rookies stared at her in disbelief. “It took me three years to recover, and sometime during that, I met Alisa.” Two pairs of eyes darted towards the Russian God Eater who seemed to be as surprised as they were.

Alisa turned to her. “Is that for real? Surely I would have remembered.” She was immediately pulled closer to the older female, the latter affectionately and gently nuzzling her temple.

“Don’t think so,” Yuka replied. “At least not all. As what I’ve been told, it was a tough time for you too.” She ran her fingers through silver locks, glancing at Utsugi Lenka from the corner of her eyes. He gave a nod, and once again, a mutual understanding existed solely between the two of them. “I suppose you don’t remember Yuu either, do you?”

Her face flushed pink. “We-Well...”

Kota coughed against his palm. “Uh, story? After three years then, you got assigned to the European Branch?”

Both girls chuckled and returned their attention to the table. “That’s right. I got into a team, then got a team of my own and then... and then...” Lenka straightened in his seat. Yuka stared longingly at her cup of coffee, lips pursed to a wistful smile. Alisa and Kota stayed waiting in silence and anticipation. “... then they got wiped out.” A look of utter surprise appeared on their faces, almost as if their hearts dropped right out of their chests. It was even more surprising that she simply laughed the topic off like it was nothing. “I ditched my job after that, then the Director moved me here, and that pretty much catches you up, no?”

They stared at her dumbfounded, still registering the summarized story of her life. To break the settling silence, Kota cocked his head to Lenka and asked, “Can you imagine how things would have gone if Yuka-san was as grumpy as Soma-san?”

It was a lovely talk until a voice from a table over snickered, gaining all of their attention. “Then they would be the perfect pair!” C exclaimed, clasping her hands together. “Just imagine, glaring daggers at each other, racing who can be the biggest jerk and... oh, oh, oh! Don’t forget the most important, being a pain in the ass for everyone else!” And then she was laughing, caring less about the eyes now pinned on her.

Unfortunately, Alisa decided C was a part of the conversation. “Would that make them friends or enemies?”

“Frienemies!” Kota whooped, arms in the air, and the three joined together for a good laugh, to which Yuka rolled her eyes. She never really saw herself as a cantankerous and crabby God Eater who snaps at basically everybody and everything, but she laughed alongside them anyway. “Hold on a tic, Yuka-san,” their redhead spoke again, wiping the pool of tears at the corner of his eyes. He still held that delighted expression in his face, brightly beaming at the blonde. “Is the whole sticking close to Soma-san even if it annoys the hell out of him some kind of plan to get him to open up to everyone?”

Yuka blinked. “What? No!” She wheezed. “It’s just really fun to see him with his feathers ruffled all the bloody time. The veins that pop up; I find them absolutely adorable. And I feel like I’m going to burst out in a fit of laughter whenever his eyebrows furrow in annoyance.”

It was a statement they could raise a brow at, being one of those who receive rather offending comebacks from the said male after a bare touch of his nerve. Yuka appeared to have been used to it, as it was easier for her to dodge the counterattacks. Once again, they heard C snicker, “You mean, you want to get laid, since, apparently, Moonboy is afraid to.”

Her eyes turned to glare daggers at the pale girl. “Fuck off, C,” she hissed. “Conversation with minors here! We need not your—” She lifted her hands to draw quotation marks in the air. “—words of wisdom.”

“Minor...” A small ‘pft’ slipped past the masked girl’s lips. “Doesn’t he want to bone either Sakuya or Alisa?” Yuka’s eyes widened as she accusingly stared at the redhead, who shared a tomato-red face with their Russian female. Alisa was also eyeing Kota in utter disbelief, horrified and embarrassed at the same time. “Is that how a minor is?”

“ _извращенец_!” The silver-haired God Eater cried out just as Kota fumbled for an explanation. Lenka shook his head and sighed, attempting to keep his laughter at the demise of his comrade. “Pervert! Pervert!” Yuka instinctively threw her arms around her _kleine schwe_ _ß_ _ter_ , now glaring daggers at the redhead.

Lenka finally sighed once more and decided to save his friend before his Yuka could murder him through her sharp glares. “Kota, I think it’s about time to start the first assignment,” he said, failing to suppress his grin. “We shouldn’t keep Sakuya and Soma-san waiting for us.”

Yuka huffed as the boys stood up. “You better keep those eyes and hands to yourself.”

Kota swallowed as he stood up to follow their leader, making sure not to meet the blonde’s fearsome stares. The boys had disappeared behind the doors of the cafeteria when Yuka untangled her limbs from around Alisa’s body, scooting away for a more comfortable position. She returned her attention to her forgotten cup of coffee. “I’m... sorry I don’t remember much.” Alisa’s voice brought her gaze back to the Russian who kept her head low. C was no longer at the table next to them, probably wreaking havoc who-knows-where (most likely in closest proximity to a certain short-tempered God Eater). “I feel kind of embarrassed, to be honest.”

The older female chuckled softly. “It’s okay, don’t worry, and I don’t blame you for not remembering.” Her fingers smoothed the strands of silver hair before she retreated her hand. “I mean, you were only nine or ten that time, and well, pretty unstable.” She wanted to add a little more to that, but hesitated in fear of crossing any kind of borders. Indeed, Alisa was still young when they met in the science facility for IRIS, disguised as an extension of the Fenrir Hospital they were brought in. _Alyssum_ , as she had learned to call the younger God Eater, suffering from the trauma of witnessing her parents’ deaths, was placed under heavy medication. At least that is what she has been told.

“Was Yuu the one with pretty blue eyes and honey-brown hair?”

She had to blink thrice to allow the question to sink in; all the while Alisa stared at her rather perturbed expression. After minutes of the short silence, Yuka chuckled once more and answered, “Yeah, that’s Kannagi Yuu, about the same age as you were. I wish I know where he is now though. I only stayed in the facility for three years and lost you both.”

A small smile graced the Russian’s lips. “Quite a coincidence, no? To meet again here and be in a single team.”

“Not a coincidence; it’s Fate.”

* * *

As always, the old man is being troublesome with his silly requests. It is why once again, Soma was stuck inside the laboratory, tolerating the odd behavior of Shio. The team had just gone back from their own missions, when they were called back to meet the doctor. “Can never arrive on time, can we?” The dark-skinned male growled ever so slightly.

Paylor laughed from his seat. “Patience really isn’t one of your virtues, Soma.”

He grumbled in return, and fixed his sight on the door. It had been a long fifteen minutes since he’d been waiting and there still not a single sign of the rest of the team. What’s taking them so long anyways?

“It _stings_ like fucking crazy,” a voice finally came from the other side of the door. “Are you guys sure it’s covered well? Is there really no more blood oozing from it?” It grew louder and louder in his ears, along with footsteps approaching the room. He wasn’t surprised when the door finally opened, and in walked everyone else.

Shio perked up from her sitting position and her lips stretched to a bright, toothy grin. “Yuka, fuck you!” She cheered, as if the words that slipped from her mouth were a sweet and smooth ‘good morning’. The blonde and basically everybody else stopped dead on their tracks, eyes shifting towards the white-haired God Eater seated with his arms crossed.

Yuka’s mouth fell agape, shaky finger not sure whether to point at Soma or at Shio. Five seconds and she got her soul and sanity back. “W-What have you been teaching her?!” She cried out. “I told you to watch your language all the bloody time, didn’t I? Look at what she’s picked up from you, Moonboy!”

Soma grabbed the hand jabbing him at the chest and shoved it away, snapping angrily at the blonde. They argued like parents putting the blame on each other in front of their children. “I wouldn’t be saying it a lot if you weren’t such a dick, you bitch.”

“Such a dick, you bitch,” the Aragami girl echoed, blinking innocently at every God Eater and smiling proudly, as the team shared a look of absolute terror in their faces—except for Soma since he’s an emotionless dick bag.

“U-Uhm, Shio...” Alisa began. “You aren’t supposed to use those... those kinds of words.”

“Yeah,” Kota agreed. “Where did you even learn those?”

The pale girl’s golden eyes returned to the grumbling blonde. “Soma said ‘Fuck you, bitch’ when you left,” she answered, staring in wonder. “Yuka, what is a bitch?”

“Her, apparently,” Soma snickered, earning sharp glares from blue eyes.

“What is a dick?”

“Soma, apparently,” the blonde bit back and it was a war between deathly glares until Lenka coughed in his fist.

Their leader shifted uncomfortably on where he stood, not wanting to meet any of his seniors’ eyes. As much fun it was to spectate petty and childish arguments, they really can’t let them throw any more vulgar words in front of poor, innocent Shio and have her pick them up. “Shall we listen to what Dr. Sakaki has to say? Kota, Alisa and I could work out the whole language problem with Shio later on.” He proceeded to bend on his knees, gently patting the Aragami girl’s head.

“Thank you very much,” Paylor nodded in appreciation. “Well, quarrels aside, our pressing problem continue.” He haphazardly grabbed a couple of files—three in total—from the huge pile on his desk and handed it out to them. “And so, I’ve arranged a few more requests for the gathering of Shio’s food.” They went through the details of the “requests” as the doctor continued to speak, “I surely hope none of you have complains, yes? After all, basing from your skills and experience, those Aragamis are work that can be done.”

“What did everybody get?” Kota asked.

Sakuya looked up from her file and answered, “Soma and I have orders to eliminate a pair of Gboro-gboros and a Blaze Borg Camlann.”

“Canned food!” Shio chirped.

Yuka fell butt-first on the couch and let her free arm hung limp on the armrest. “Ouroboros. I’m hunting an Ouroboros in the grasslands.”

“WHAT?” The room erupted with varying voices, drowning out the Aragami girl’s gleeful cry of “Spider!”

The look of panic on their redhead gunner’s face was priceless. “Y-You’re taking on that monstrosity all by yourself?!” His mouth fell open as he ran and tried to shake some sense into his senior, much to the latter’s displeasure. Lenka, bless this boy—he deserves a pay rise, pried the struggling gunner from her. Kota’s cries were an alternate of “Not fair” and “Let me join too”, earning an eye roll from the rest of the team.

Sakuya didn’t seem to object, but her doubts and worry were written all over her face. “Are you sure you’re up for this though?” Her words appear to lecture the younger God Eater of the times she was made to eat dust by some Aragami species, and Yuka puffed a single cheek. After all, even amongst the elite God Eaters of the Fenrir Far East Branch, only Lindow had successfully took down an Ouroboros on his own, and the stories are still circling strong even after the man’s... disappearance. “In the plains, no less. There were groups of God Eaters that hunted down that specific Aragami and never came back.”

“Well...” Blue eyes glazed over the image of Soma, expecting an answer. “Wouldn’t that be a wish come true?”

“Stop talking nonsense,” he glared.

Sakaki laced his fingers together and mused. “I shall be expecting that... Ouroboros core, Yuka.” In return, the blonde flicked two fingers off her forehead in the form of a salutation.

It was then that the objections fell from everybody’s lips. “You can’t be serious!” Soma barked instantly. “You know that if she dies out there, you’d be held responsible!” And no, they can’t bring up the Double Sariel incident because that was _cheating._ A turn to his right and the only expression Yuka gave him was a shrug, as if the situation _can_ _’_ _t_ be helped. As if it wasn’t dangerous. As if she would just be waltzing into an open ground to whack a clueless Ogretail with her blade.

But it wasn’t. “We don’t really have a say on this one, do we?” Sakuya sighed, one hand on her waist. “Even Soma can’t talk you out of it.”

“Bullshit,” the said male growled, and Shio repeated in a rather cheerful tone. It took only a few seconds for him to snatch the file the blonde held, sharp glares boring holes through the sheets of paper. They were all surprised to see that it was indeed an Ouroboros assignment, with the Aragami’s photo clipped on the upper right corner of the paper.

“It’s real,” Alisa said breathlessly, not sure whether to be surprised at the legitimacy of the mission or at the fact that the senior God Eater was diving into the arms of death head-on.

Lenka didn’t even bother reading through the material, unlike everybody else. “Are you really up for this though?”

Yuka crossed her arms and pouted at her own team. “Lindow can do it. What, does this mean you have lesser faith in me?” She pressed a palm over her left chest and faked a hurt look, wiping nonexistent tears from the corner of her eyes with her free hand. “I am deeply hurt to know that. I killed two Sariels all by myself!”

He expected her to bring that up.

“Then you were unconscious for three straight days,” Kota retorted.

“A Sariel is different, Yuka,” Sakuya tried to reason out, despite her earlier statement of them not having a say on the matter. “Are you seriously trying to be as stubborn as Soma?”

“Hey!”

“Spider!” Shio cheered.

It was then that Yuka stood up, taking the file from Soma’s hands. “Have some trust in me, guys.” She flashed them a grin. “I’ll be back here before you know it.”

* * *

One and a half hour.

God Eaters only get an average of thirty minutes to complete an assignment. Any longer than that would prompt the branch to send backup, depending on how long the unit in question had been out of contact.

Well, Assault Corporal Ichinose Yuka of the Fenrir Far East Branch, veteran God Eater and human-Aragami hybrid, assigned to hunt down an Ouroboros, had been out in the field for one and a half hour without any status report.

Does Soma have the right to be mad?

No, he doesn’t. She had already established how capable she is in handling her own during duty. Yuka is far better than what she appears to be. Heck, she wowed the world on more than one occasions.

But is he mad?

Yes, he definitely is. Because that bitch is thinking life is just a game and an Ouroboros is a tiny Aragami she could treat like a pet and play fetch with. “Yuka-san isn’t back yet?” A voice behind him asked, causing him to breathe out a rather irritated huff. “Maybe we should follow her. She could be in trouble.” _Well, for starters, you could go fuck off._ If there’s anybody to run after her, it’s him. It’s always been him. Lotus Boy can’t suddenly pop into the picture and change how things had always been.

Tsubaki spared them a few seconds of her attention, before returning her eyes to the wide monitor flashing a large map. She appeared to consider the option, as a red indicator blinked on a certain spot, disappearing every now and then due to signal interference. Apparently, that is the only assurance they have that the blonde God Eater is alive, and they’re at the verge of losing the signal too. “Hibari, try again,” she ordered, and the redhead operator quickly complied.

“Far East Branch to Ichinose Yuka.”

Static.

This time, it was Soma who tried, “Could we get a fucking answer over here?”

“Oh—” A feminine voice finally cut through the series of static. “Could —ou sto— bein— a f—cking asshole for —nce?”

“Asshole for once!” A different feminine voice resonated within the lines, and Soma and Lenka visibly flinched. The younger God Eater threw his senior a panicked look for split second before Hibari turned towards them with a question, “Who was that?”

He snapped at the operator, though his anger was actually directed at the person on the other end of the line. “That’s just Yuka pulling her damn pranks again... and they _aren_ _’_ _t_ funny! Stop playing around, _arschloch_!”

“Look, I’m not playing around!” The blonde argued, the signals are beginning to clear. Along with said God Eater’s biometrics appearing on-screen, another indicator flashed right next to her, just as the computer started an Aragami scan. It took only seconds before it showed them the photo of a Prithvi Mata, and Soma’s breath was caught in his throat.

Yuka is currently fighting a Prithvi Mata. _By herself_. A God Eater stood against a Prithvi Mata alone and now he’s dead. If the Aragami attracts a pack, then Soma might as well stamp ‘death by foolishness’ on the blonde’s records. “Soma-san, we should—”

“Bitch, you better get your ass back here or else I’ll— I’ll—”

A new voice snickered, much to Soma’s infuriation. “What, you’ll fuck her to oblivion?”

“Stop messing with the communication lines, you bastard!”

“I would like to have this childish game of yours stopped this instant,” Tsubaki’s voice rose in its flat tone, though it was pretty obvious that she was only trying to remain professional before her younger subordinates. The way her eyes and the edges of her lips twitched was enough signal that they aren’t on her good side anymore. “Ichinose Yuka, status report.” She wasn’t even done with the sentence when the Aragami indicator flashed from red to black. Soma had to steal seconds before Hibari’s “It’s dead” sank in his head, blue eyes remaining fixed on the large screen.

Yuka _killed_ a Prithvi Mata, all on her own. “Mission accomplished, ma’am,” the blonde replied in between breaths. “The Prithvi Mata’s core had been secured.” A rumble rudely interrupted the last of her words, and another Aragami appeared on the map, the computers scanning the database the very second it did. “Soma, _mein liebe_ , are you still there?”

“Affirmative,” he hissed.

“On a scale of one to ten, how screwed do you think I am?”

His gaze travelled at the eyes now focused solely on him, waiting for any further words from the blonde God Eater miles away from their grasp. “Eleven. What’s going on there? We can’t tell what Aragami just—”

“Shit, it spotted me. I’ll get back to you later if I’m still alive, okay? Don’t send anybody!”

“Yuka! Oi! What’s going on there?!” But he was answered with purely static, causing the dark-skinned God Eater to slam his hands against the control board in frustration. Don’t send anybody? Don’t send anybody?! It could be the Dyaus Pita and she tells them not to send anybody?! Is she out of her mind?!

He thought it would at least ease him to know that the scan was finished, but he shouldn’t have expected much. As the God Eater’s biometric signals were becoming disrupted once more, Soma caught glimpse of a nightmare.

The new Aragami was an Ouroboros.

“On a scale of one to ten... “ A low rumble escaped his throat. “You should have asked with a scale of one to a million, even then you’d top it out easily. Utsugi, what are you standing there for?! Get everybody!” It was easy for him to brush off the Major’s intense glares. Apparently, for Lenka, it wasn’t.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to assist Yuka against an Ouroboros, but isn’t an Aragami of that variety still... out of his league? He didn’t want to lead his team to death just because of his lack of experience. The first and last time he’d seen an Ouroboros was from the view on Alisa’s transport plane, and Lindow—the man who took down one on his own—himself suggested that they divert the massive Aragami’s attention away. Even Lindow didn’t want to engage against it. “Is that a wise idea? Aside from Lindow, none of us had really—” In the next second, he found himself held in the collar, Soma’s dangerous blue eyes piercing and deathly.

His lips twitched, as if words were threatening to come out, but Major Amamiya got to it first, “This is not the time to pull up a fight, Soma.” This caused the dark-skinned God Eater to release his leader, yet the sharp glares remained directed to him.

Soma nearly lost her once to an Aragami. He’s not going to let that happen again. Not even close. On his commlink, C’s annoying voice came up again, “Careful, Moonboy, your Care-Meter is on critical levels! If you apply any more, your heart of stone might turn tender! Quick, do something evil!”

“I’m going to bury you alive if I get my hands on you.”

“That could work,” she snickered.

* * *

Ever since it knew existence, it was considered an apex predator. After all, there was nothing that was foolish enough to engage it and not end up inside its stomach. Which wasn’t hard considering that sporting a size of a mountain was helpful enough. By some creatures, it was known as Lord of the Plains; some others referred to it as Ouroboros, however the beast knew nothing of these monikers.

It didn’t need to, as the sole driving instinct it had was to consume, devour and stay alive. Which was a constant challenge, no matter how much it ate, due to its size it was a futile and ever-time consuming deal. The beast itself roamed the land, driven to sate itself and in its wake, anything was consumed. Creatures many times smaller than itself, mountains, structures a certain race of small creatures have erected and even its own kind if they were unlucky to meet each other.

By the course of its life, the beast had only a few moments that stood out from the nigh-endless cycle of hunger-search-consume routine. The very first actually happened at the very beginning of its life, before the actual hunger cycle started. It found a small creature of white, however for some reason it was unable to eat it. The creature didn’t even try to defend itself; all it did was look at the much larger beast. For a long time, the beast tried again and again to consume it, but even when it tried to get close after a while, something stopped it.

In the end, having its hunger awoken, the mighty beast ignored the small creature, for something else was also calling on its hunger. It found a large decimated area, littered with the bodies of creatures similar to the one it let go and various beasts that were in the process of decomposing. Those allured the mighty beast even more than the smaller carcasses and gorged itself on them until there was nothing left.

The second one started with an impulse, a jolt that was calling the mighty beast over long distance. Something was out there and it drove the beast with the sole purpose to go and devour it. So it left the frozen wastes it had been sweeping constantly for nourishment and headed towards the source. It went until a large mass of water was reached, but didn’t stop there and waded into it and suck to the bottom.

Having air deprived, it took its massive limbs and swung them under itself, propelling itself upwards in the water and through the surface to move forward and repeated it to advance steadily. During the travel, the ever present hunger was driving it to consume the water, however it barely did anything else than fill it and not diminish the fangs of hunger. However, something caught its attention, a large swarm of smaller creatures were assaulting a bigger one while another flying was nearby.

On top of the biggest flyer, a small group of small creatures were fending off the flying ones en masse. It didn’t matter for the mighty beast, as it wanted only to consume them to ease the hunger it was feeling. However, by the time it had caught up with them, the swarms of small fliers were decimated; the larger one was too far to catch up, however the other was slow enough to be consumed. With a thunderous roar, the might beast lunged from the water to devour its prey, before continuing on the hunt for the jolt.

The third event was sometime after it reached shore; from there it followed the jolt to find another small creature. It was similar to the other one it encountered at the start of its life, however while the first one prevented it from consuming with willpower alone, this one taught fear to the mighty beast. Something that wouldn’t have been possible at all, yet it was being engraved into its very soul.

In the end it fled, ignoring the alluring call of the unknown source, because that small creature was always in the way. It then started to roam the fields, where strange twirling winds were blowing and occasionally trapping smaller creatures in them. The mighty beast knew that it would eventually found prey if it stuck around and decided to stalk the area. Whenever the hunger would strike, it would either find something to eat, be that creature, structure.

This led to the fourth meeting, where it met another small creature that dared to oppose it. However, unlike the previous two, this one couldn’t stop it from advancing. It was a strangely alluring being, somewhat resembling the initial source that led the beast here, which fueled the urge to devour it even more. They clashed.

Raising the arm formed of numerous tentacles, the mighty beast smashed it downward to end the existence of the small creature. In retaliation it raised its large limb and to the surprise of the large beast, managed to deflect the attack. It didn’t quite spare the smaller creature from the entirety of the attack, but it wasn’t squashed as it was initially intended either.

Despite its much smaller stature, the tiny being even counterattacked. It did manage to cut into the limb formed of tentacles, severing a few. Still, what does the loss of a few measures to thousands still available?

With a roar, it retracted its limb and straightened itself, reaching heights where clouds were forming and momentarily losing track of the much smaller and raging creature. However, it didn’t matter as it raised four of its compounded limbs and smashed them into the ground. Upon making contact, they spread wide and spun, sweeping the area where its prey is supposed to be.

Drilling tentacles erupted from the ground, with an attempt to skewer the prey, but those that managed to find the target met resistance. The small creature was defending itself madly, repelling the drills, even cutting them off. This made the humongous beast roar in response and retracted the drills covering the ground, even making it at places cave in on itself, but didn’t retract the limbs from the ground.

What followed was a burst of light; bright violet shower of energy and destruction raining down on the ground around it after it was summoned by the beast. Still, the small creature persisted, effectively managing to avoid the fatal shower getting close to chip into one of the compounded limbs.

After a raging roar escaped the tremendous sized beast, it released a blinding flash in attempt to stave off the small attacker, while it retracted the limbs from the ground and hunched forward once more. It was still there, bravely opposing such a beast at itself and that only made it angrier and hungrier than before. With lurching steps, it started forward, attempting to crush the puny offense underneath it.

It wasn’t quite ready to face retaliation as something struck its compound eyes. The mighty beast stopped to shake off the annoying feeling when something erupted in its eye once more. A tremendous roar escaped the beast as it leaned forward and pounded the ground in its rage to make the small creature stop the attack. That seemed to be successful, and the beast returned to its usual lurching position.

What it wasn’t expecting that the small creature with one unnaturally large limb was running straight at it, upwards one of the compounded arms. It infuriated the beast even more that broke into a wild turn, swinging the aforementioned arm around. However, the tiny assailant stood defiant against the action, stabbing its large limb into the beast’s appendage to prevent it from being hurled to the distance.

Still, the small creature wasn’t quite prepared for the desperate follow up, where the beast decided to separate the limb from the countless tentacles that formed it and then attempting to reassemble it in order to trap the small creature inside. As much of a good plan it was, the smaller being had a mind of its own, picking a rather deep fall as it leaped off and plummeted to the ground. As the appendages reconstructed themselves, the monstrosity watched as its prey lunged itself to earth.

The place shook at another roar, and it reached for the fallen target. As it was though, a violent shockwave erupted from where the small creature was, traveling up the arm of the humongous predator and sending pain to every inch of its tentacles. The pain hadn’t subsided yet when another one shot up at its eyes. The mighty beast staggered backwards at the shock, and made an attempt to shake the dizzy feeling off. Another shot came, and another, and another, until the beast roared once more. It lunged forward, squashing the tiny pest under the weight of its body. As it landed on the ground, its legs pained. It only took a mere moment for it to realize that its assailant had managed to evade death once again. Around it, blinding flashes and bursts of violent energy erupted, leaving those numerous limbs to flail out of control.

When it got back to its senses, its enemy was out of its grasp. But as it stood there, watching the other, it noticed how it wasn’t as agile as it was before, and neither was it releasing those annoying shots. Still, it kept itself out of the beast’s attack range. While the situation had only made it even hungrier, there was something that kept the monster at bay. Not too far from the enemy it wished to devour was another one, and it’s very appearance was ingrained in the beast’s memory.

It had encountered this one in the past, and it wasn’t a very pleasing encounter. A step closer to that certain creature sent fear crawling through all of its body. There was no assurance what else this one could do, so the beast simple stood there, eyeing the two.

This third character was only observing, thought it was clear that this and the other one were together. Eventually, the small prey would fall, but that would definitely spark a reaction from the frightful one. Roaring in indignation, the mighty beast turned around and began to leave. Its tiny assailant was confused for a few moments, but it was clear it wanted to give chase. What surprised the beast was that the other barred its way to follow it. They seemed to converse or at least the fearful one was trying to, but the other was too swallowed in rage and attacked it. The might beast decided to remember this and added to the very small amount of things, which broke its monotone cycle of hunger-search-consume.

* * *

Soma was a little out of himself.

As soon as they reached the location where the blonde God Eater’s signal was last detected, he took his God Arc and scrambled to his feet on the ground. Their sniper called out to him, but her voice was too faint in his ears and he was in no mood to bother about what she has to say. One thing is for sure though: the place is empty, for the Ouroboros was already gone. There was nothing around him but worn-down buildings, crushed debris and splatters of blood on the ground. Apart from the severed appendages spread throughout the space, there was no other sign of the Ouroboros or the God Eater that shouldn’t have been fighting it. Soma wasn’t even sure if he wanted to know whose blood was on the ground.

“It’s gone,” Kota mumbled as he stood beside, but in safe distance from the dark-skinned male.

“She’s gone,” Alisa noted in a low voice, breathless at the aftermath of the chaos.  “Sakuya, do you have any idea where she could have gone?”

The said female and their unit leader were just approaching the scene. “I wish I do,” the veteran sighed. “But considering that she fought a Prithvi Mata and encountered an Ouroboros, I wouldn’t be able to assure any of you that she is not, at the very least, injured. Those discarded pill cases are enough evidence. If she went somewhere, it wouldn’t be very far.”

He would have been relieved to hear that, if it weren’t for the possibility that the God Eater in question is sustaining terrible injury. Why does she have to be so much of a problem for him anyway?

“Well, aren’t we a little late to the party? Sadly though, you just lost her.”

He greeted the Devil with a punch square in the face.


	41. Benevolence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Say, little Flower, what are you so afraid of?”
> 
> He never heard that voice. For sure it’s not from a staff or anybody from the facility. But then, he didn’t see anybody enter, and who would dare take adventure into this mess? Except for him, of course.
> 
> Fearful that whoever that was could mean harm, Soma yelled, in the bravest tone a child like him could muster, “Stay away from her!”

It took the strength of four people to keep him from landing another punch straight towards the pale girl’s face. “Gee,” C chuckled as she rose to sitting position, earning glares from everyone in general. “What’s gotten you so riled up, Moonboy? I just said you lost her. You thought she was dead, no? Am I right?” When the male God Eater struggled against those that had him bound, the information broker chuckled once more. “Well, maybe she is now. I mean, judging from how much she bled with that head wound, surely, she won’t last long. And hey, you wouldn’t want to waste your precious time hitting me even if it’s pointless, right?”

Soma broke from everyone’s hold, his hands balled into fists as he growled at the smaller female before him.

“Tick-tock,” smirked C. “You have a heavily injured and bleeding girlfriend to worry about. True that you have the self-heal talent, but you two aren’t exactly immortal, right? She still could die.”

Defeated, he resorted to a simple ‘tch’. The bastard is of no fucking use anyway. “Let’s search individually,” Alisa offered. “We’ll cover larger ground that way.” Everyone appeared to agree with the idea—Soma didn’t actually care that much—and they dispersed to different directions. He simply allowed his feet to take him wherever, like he’d always done. After all, that’s how he’d been able to win those silly hide-and-seek games in the past—through instinct and gut-feel. He proceeded in silence, keeping a keen eye on every little detail around him. He climbed up the remains of a small structure and jumped to the other side, aware of the two pair of footsteps trailing in the closest and safest distance. “If she’s badly wounded,” Lenka began. “... why would she... run away?”

Beside him, C grinned. “Oh, extreme terror does a lot of things to the human mind, Lotus Boy. It’s like how trauma causes them amnesia, or alters their persona drastically. In Flower’s case... well... she’s in a state you wouldn’t want to deal with.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Soma asked, still wearing the same irritated expression.

“It means you have a rabid Aragami on the loose, Moonboy.”

The words she left sent a jolt up the spine of the dark-skinned God Eater and C could only laugh at the emotion glazing his blue eyes—she wasn’t certain if it was fear or worry, but either is delightful. _She’s not one of them,_ he growled to himself, deciding that C was not worthy of a reply and instead resuming his search. Soma just wanted to get over this stupid shit, and he would drag her sorry ass back home if he has to. He ducked to avoid a hanging steel beam, and stepped out of the dim light of the broken infrastructure. “Are those...” Their leader gasped. “... Cocoon Maiden thorns?”

“Not necessarily from them,” he snorted in response, gaze travelling towards the sharp protrusions sticking out of the ground and even penetrating a few of the structures on its way. Surely, those thorns are composed of Oracle Cells, similar to the ones that showed up when the breakout happened. Soma wasn’t born by then yet, but he’d seen enough documentations and news clips.

Besides, he’d seen these things when he was eight, and the memory was still vivid in his head.

An uncontrolled vacillation of Oracle Cells caused a section of the laboratory to collapse, entrapping the rest of the facility through sharp thorns very much larger than he was. Soma wasn’t sure what was more terrifying—the sight of people impaled by those thorns, or the face that someone was trapped somewhere inside.

He glowered at the young God Eater. “Let’s get a move on.” They followed the trail of thorns deeper into the chaos of ruined buildings, finding a couple of small Aragamis impaled or mutilated. Lenka swallowed.

“Told you,” C snickered. “You wouldn’t want to deal with her right now. The thing with the Aether and the Sariels... You got pretty lucky. This time, well...” Her grin flashed towards Soma’s direction. “... are you ready for a fist fight with your honey-pie sugar-plum?”

“Do you even understand the word you’re using, you bastard?!”

“No, but it seems they trigger you quite well.” She erupted into a fit of annoying retarded seal laughter, and if it weren’t for his leader, Soma surely would have buried the information broker six feet under.

The carcass of an impaled Zygote dropped to the ground as it began to decompose. Silence met the three of them and they continued walking. The further they ventured into the area, the more the thorns around them grew, and it was only a little while later when an Ogretail crashed against a cluster of large thorns, flew over the heads of the three and skidded to the ground. The grip on their God Arcs tightened at the sight of the Aragami making an attempt to rise. “Face the other way, dumbass.” They turned their heads just in time for a crushing wave of energy to zip in between them, toppling down the Ogretail and leaving it lifeless.

Calling her a mess would be an understatement.

Soma knew he should at least be keeping his distance, because the person in front of them _isn’t_ Yuka at all. The same blond hair, clothes and God Arc could fool everyone but him.

On a second thought, it couldn’t fool anybody at all, especially after the said God Eater straight out lunged towards him. Soma deployed his shield in reflex, the impact pushing him backwards slightly. “What the heck is wrong with you?!” He growled out, attempting to create enough distance between the two of them. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?!” Knightfall’s core glowed a bright orange color and he felt his own shield slowly being pressed against him. Where is she pulling out all these physical strength?! How is she stronger than he is?!

He was almost pressed against the back of Evil One when the force disappeared, and it didn’t take him long to find out that Lenka had rammed himself into the female God Eater. It sent her crashing on the ground, and it was only then that Soma noticed the multiple bruises and wounds on her arms and legs, and whatever parts of skin her torn clothes exposes. A large cut was present on one side of her waist, and though it wasn’t bleeding anymore, it still looked like it hurt. Regardless of her own injuries, the blonde rose with shaky arms and labored breaths. “Yuka,” he began. “ _Gehen wir nach Hause_ _._ ” To his surprise, he didn’t get the reaction he expected. 

She was staring at him, eyes wide with terror. Her fingers visibly shook as she held onto her God Arc, lips quivering. “What the hell is happening to you?!” Soma asked the very moment his grip was on her shoulders. “Speak up, dammit!” But instead, he was shoved away, an almost inhuman growl registering in his ears.

“Don’t touch me!” She yelled, tone somewhere in the middle of mad and afraid. Lenka opened his mouth to speak, but was rudely cut off by the sound of C’s laughter and the sight of the blonde backing away from them. “Don’t... don’t get close...”

In an instant, Soma’s infuriated expression was thrown to the information broker’s direction. “What. The hell. Did you do?” His eyes narrowed to dangerous glares. “What the hell did you do this time?!”

C barked another laughter. “Oh, come on, Moonboy. Why don’t you stop blaming me for things when you’re at fault?” The bastard still held the same expression even after another powerful wave came towards the male pair, leaving a cracked path in the attack’s wake. ”But, hey, if you can’t handle her nervous breakdowns now, how would you do it once you’re married?” If he wasn’t in the middle of chaos, Soma would have made a snarky retort, but there really was no chance, considering that Yuka was swinging her blade wildly at them.

“Yuka-san—stop!” The raven-haired lad yelled, barely able to block the attack. ”Calm down, please!” It didn’t look too effective though, as the blonde was now baring her teeth at the other. Yuka had lashed out to Aragamis more than once, and maybe the same thing happened to the Ouroboros. But then, in the past, once the Aragami was dead, she gets back to normal. Soma knew it had always been that way.

Why isn’t it working now? What is different?

_“So, tell me, Moonboy. Watching and not being able to see; listening, however, not being able to hear; touching, but not having the chance to feel, and finally; speaking, yet not having the chance to talk.”_

It is despicable.

Utsugi was already eating dust when he was barely allowed to hold his ground. If this continues, the boy might sustain worse injuries than his own senior. Heck, the boy could get killed even.

When she swung that massive blade one more time, it was Soma who took the blow. “Look,” he growled. “Whatever that bastard has told you, forget it!” He was never the person meant neither for conversations nor for talking the shit out of people. For all he knows, him talking could make the situation worse. Perhaps if Sakuya was here instead...

There was no time to complain, as Soma staggered backwards, feeling warm fluid drip down from his forehead to the side of his face. “Shit...” He cursed, eyeing the blonde. “Seriously?!” Well, what did he expect? Only this bitch has the guts to physically assault him. _Him._ Another stupid move and he wouldn’t be hesitating to go on equal grounds with her.

“I knew it’s going to be _this_ fun!”C cackled. “In the end, it’s just going to be you or her, right? Surely, the Far East would be just fine without either of you. One of you isn’t going to outlast this, Moonboy. Go along and be the Death God you are.” Her lips pursed to a sly smirk and Soma made a lunge for her. They crashed down on the ground, hands tight around the bastard’s neck.

“Uh... Soma-san...?”

He let the call from his leader to pass, too focused on choking the information broker beneath him.”What?” C grinned despite the difficulty in breathing. “Are you into this kink now?” But he only glared, further curling his fingers.

“Soma-san!”

“What the fuck is your problem now?!” He turned in frustration, just in time to see the raven-haired God Eater swing his blade towards an incoming Ogretail. Well fuck. It completely slipped his mind that a bunch of Aragami corpse is like a food in waiting for—guess what—even more Aragamis. Sending another icy glare at the teal-haired annoyance, he shifted his attention to the gadget on his ear. “Sakuya!”

Instantly, a feminine voice answered, “Is there something wrong?” There were also the faint voices of Kota and Alisa asking the vice captain the reason she suddenly raised her voice.

“We’re surrounded,” he replied through gritted teeth, forced to unbind the grinning annoyance to drive the approaching beasts away. “... and we have a situation here.” His eyes flittered to the direction of where the blonde was standing—correction: stood. “Yuka! Heck!”Her run came to a stop as a Gboro-gboro slid before her, baring sharp, uneven fangs. She stood there, like a poor animal struck by a blinding light, before swinging her buster blade at the Aragami. In split second, the reptilian beast was mush, and the blonde was out of his sight. “... shit.” He didn’t have any option. He can’t run after her, not until the others arrive.

And hell, it took them too fucking long to arrive. ”What’s with all those thorns?!” Kota immediately inquired, sending a blaze bullet straight into the skull of an Ogretail.

“Tell you about it later,” Lenka told him in response, as Soma ditched the scene, feet taking him to the direction the blonde had gone.

* * *

_“What happened?!” Voices of different tones registered in his ears, all asking the same question. The little boy stood there amidst the towering adults, blue eyes wide and shaking fingers clutched together. The noises were still loud in his ear when realization struck him, and he weaved his way through the crowd of legs and draping white coats. He tripped and all, but that didn’t stop him as he continued, a strange emotion causing the inside of his chest to swell._

_The people around him were panicking—there were even voices calling out to him but he paid them no attention. He has to find... “Yu... ka...?”_

_He stopped, and the swelling of his chest grew. There was nothing but red around him, fresh and dripping like excess water from a lavatory faucet. Rubble and fragments reached up to where his bare feet stood. It wasn’t that the sight of dead people was new to him. This kind of scenes had been ingrained in his head since this—this—this whatever began._

_The only oddity in this scene was those large thorns poking straight out of the ground. They were taller than the facility itself, little spikes sticking out of what remained of the roof. “... Yuka!” He called out._

_“Doctor!” A voice behind him spoke. “The cells’ behavior suddenly grew abnormal! It was fluctuating—occasionally showing activity, but when it does, it’s far too strong—like this one. That kind of power is beyond what our instruments could monitor and control.”_

_A male voice replied, and the young male gritted his teeth at the recognition. “Where is she?”_

_The woman looked beside and behind her, and suddenly grew frantic. “No way! Could she still be inside?!”_

_That very moment, he didn’t know what he did. His body moved on its own, headed towards the cave of thorns and rocks it built on its own. Behind him, the adults shouted and screamed, but none of those voices belonged to his father. He probably was watching him with the gaze of a hawk, as if to tell that whatever happens to him is his own fault. He pushed his body forward and slid in between the little opening left by two intersecting protrusions, before crawling inside._

_It was a plunge straight to darkness. The lights died out, and even the emergency power failed to serve its purpose. Though it wasn’t much of a problem for a child who’d been there his whole life, blindly navigating through paths and turns isn’t exactly a very easy task. “Yuka?” He called, and the pitch black surroundings echoed his own voice. “Oi.”_

_The wall he held onto erupted as another thorn sprung up, and his body suffered the pain of being thrown right into the wall. It hurt, but it was easy to press the pain to the back of his head. At least that would have been easy if he hadn’t realized that the event from earlier left a long, open wound across the palm of his hand. Surely, it was bound to heal, but the assurance didn’t stop him from ripping the end of shirt and wrapping the fabric around his wounded hand. Rising back up to his feet, he called out once more. “Yuka?”_

_The walk had been long and felt like hours, before the thorns around him grew far bigger and much more compressed, almost as if he was closing in to the source. In his ears, sobbing sounds grew louder and louder, until a voice—not his nor hers—was heard, “Say, little Flower, what are you so afraid of?”_

_He never heard that voice. For sure it’s not from a staff or anybody from the facility. But then, he didn’t see anybody enter, and who would dare take adventure into this mess? Except for him, of course._

_Fearful that whoever that was could mean harm, Soma yelled, in the bravest tone a child like him could muster, “Stay away from her!”_

“Stay away from her!”

C chuckled. “Well, that sounded a whole lot more convincing than back then, don’t you think, Moonboy? To others, that—” Seconds later and the information broker was flat on the ground, coughing for air.”—that—that is.”

“Whatever you did...” His eyes dropped dangerous, as he bent down to at least keep a threatening ground. “... Undo it.” Of course, C only laughed at him. “Did you not hear me?!”

“What, you think it’s just some silly curse that can be undone? Is this side of her being too much of a burden for poor promise-filled Moonboy? Sadly, in marriage, you take all, whether you wan—” His balled fist landed on her pale face once more, shutting her to a grinning silence.

It was pointless. Really, it was pointless. Repeatedly marking C’s face with punches was seriously pointless—a waste of energy. But Soma was fed up. He needed some kind of outlet. And apparently, the fucking bastard makes a very good outlet for all his pent-up anger and irritation—the only time she’s ever been of good use to him. “I hate—” A punch. “—to break it to—” Another punch. “—you but—”And one more. “—monster business?”

He threw his angry glare back to his surroundings, fist still up in the air as he was caught amidst the act. Perhaps he really has to learn not to give in to his anger sometimes. “Shit.” Immediately, he threw himself away from the pale girl and made a grab for his God Arc. He would have to finish these small Aragamis quickly and get her home before things make a turn for the worse. He did say he would drag her sorry ass if he has to, didn’t he?

_“Oi... That bad person is gone.” He crouched down before her, smoothing blond hair with his little fingers. “We should go.” But she shook her head, pressing her curled self further against the wall._

_“... no. Stay away from me.”_

“It’s Soma,” he said in between his own breaths. He had managed to rid the surroundings of the Aragamis, but if he doesn’t move her away from here, things might just go south. “... Look.” It was a flood of relief inside his chest when blue eyes finally peered up at him. She was, finally, listening to his voice. “We have to get back.”

Unfortunately, C—the bastard that she is—peeked from behind Soma with the same wide grin of hers and waved at the shivering blonde. It earned a rather negative reaction, the blonde sinking back to her curling position. A curse slipped past the dark-skinned God Eater’s gritted teeth. He turned to give the information broker another punch, but he was beaten to it, the pale girl suddenly disappearing from his sight.

C spewed out what dirt she ate. “Now _that_ hurt. Flower surely could throw a punch better than you.” Seconds later and she was pressed flat on the ground again, a new pair of hands around her neck.

“Yuka, stop—” Soma ran to pry the blonde from the smaller girl—didn’t know why he did though—but she was far from being movable, at least for him. “... dammit!” He had one arm around her waist, the other trying to pull her hands from the grinning girl’s neck. Gritting his teeth, he mustered the remaining strength he has and pulled, gaining surprise that he finally was able to.

He landed on the ground, the female God Eater limp in his arms. “What...?”

“It would help if you start carrying one in your pockets,” C told him, discarding a tranquilizer from her hands. Soma glared at her sharply, but she brushed him off, scratching her cheek.

“I told myself I’d never resort to that shit.”

“... whatever.”

* * *

“I don’t think pressing Soma for answers would be a very good idea,” Sakuya told the questioning redhead. “He’s been beating C every chance he gets.”

Kota swallowed and decided not to insist anymore. “Well, he didn’t answer any questions either with the Aether. I remember that.” The vice captain cocked up a brow in question but didn’t ask any further. “Or rather, he told me not to ask. But hey, did you see those thorns? They’re humongous! I’ve never seen them before!”

“If only you dig better things in the NORN rather than that silly show, you would have seen them,” Alisa scoffed, placing her glass of iced tea on the table. “Things like those thorns marked the beginning of the outbreak, isn’t that right, Sakuya?”

The older female nodded. “But they haven’t been seen since—that’s why there are just large holes in those old buildings, like in the old city. The ones we saw, they weren’t anything in size like the ones on the old news footages. Truly, this is a baffling occurrence. I wonder if the doctor has any explanations in regards to this.”

On another hand, Soma had not said a word since they returned. Lenka was only left to watch him from the other side of the infirmary bed, as he held the unconscious blonde’s arm with one hand and gently covered it in a roll of bandages using the other. He didn’t even find a chance to help, seeing those not-so-discreet glares sent to his direction whenever he’d attempt to touch as much as a few balls of cotton. Is it alright to consider Soma a little too possessive? “She’s going to be alright,” the raven-haired male finally said out of the blue.

“Don’t you think I know that?” He hissed.”The old man said she could return to field in two days—”

“—if she wakes up, that is.”

Soma paused in his activity, staring down at the work he’s almost done with. Green eyes shifted from him to the figure of the female God Eater tucked under a white blanket. He didn’t understand why she wouldn’t wake up sooner or later. Even normal humans regain consciousness in the middle of their recovery. Why can’t she? “She’s going to wake up,” the older male then scowled. “She’s Yuka after all.” He grabbed the scissors on his side and completed the work.

He found those green eyes rather unconvinced. “Broken rib and arm, severe head hemorrhage, an injury to the hip, fatigue—”

“She _will_ wake up and punch a hole straight to your head,” he cut in with a cold glare. Shortly after, he released her hand and stood up, silently leaving the room. Hell, if Yuka recovered from paralysis on her own, all those injuries are nothing. She survived the attacks of a Tezcatlipoca, and recovered from the double Sariel incident. For all he knows, that ray of sunshine would be up and running in less than probably two days. He wouldn’t be surprised.

 _“—if she wakes up, that is.”_ Why did that one sounded like she would not want to wake up at all? Soma hissed to himself and willed the thought away, stepping inside the doctor’s laboratory. It was back to the more pressing problem at hand—this...silly Aragami girl’s food, or Shio, as they call her. He headed straight for the couch to evade the incoming hug.

Shio appeared to be disappointed at the lack of contact, her attention falling to the door. “Flower?” Her golden eyes returned to Soma, as if the question is being directed to him. “Ready to eat?”

“I’ve finished arranging a few missions for her dinner,” Sakaki spoke from his seat before the computer. “But considering that you aren’t holding up very well right now, I’m afraid I can’t let you partake in any of them, Soma.” To his surprise, no sign of complain rose from said male, as he simply sat there with his arms crossed and head bowed low. Soma was just silent; even the curious pale girl staring at him seemed to be invisible. Paylor reveled at the male’s nettled expression, before he started arranging the mess of files on top of his desk. “Would you mind keeping her company for a bit?” As expected, no answer came from the God Eater, and the doctor watched him for a few more moments before leaving the room.

Shio padded softly towards the dark-skinned male. “Is Flower... okay?” She asked softly, wary of what reaction she might receive from the other. “... Soma?”

Before those round golden eyes, he could only avert his gaze. Good question. Is she really okay like what he believes? Yuka could sleep for three straight days and Soma never doubted her of waking up but now—now just felt a bit... different. ”What would you even know?” He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what to do—and he has not a single idea what’s even going on inside her head.

C wouldn’t tell him.

Old man Sakaki wouldn’t tell him.

Yuka wouldn’t tell him.

What is he supposed to do? Guess?!

He shifted slightly in his seat just as Shio slumped down on the floor. From one of his pockets, he fished Yuka’s recorder and shuffled through the files she has. The Aragami girl stared and blinked curiously, but remained in silence, simply cocking her head sideways. Soma found a few ones dating way back 2050s. Those were probably the ones her father made prior to passing down the nifty device. A little while later, he came across the new ones.

“Flower!” Shio chirped after a certain blond God Eater’s voice rose from the recording, in the form of a song that had lulled them to sleep before. The pale girl peered at the device with full interest, seemingly enjoying the melody. “Soma, what is that?”

_“You should... give Shio a chance. I don’t think she wants nothing more than being your friend.”_

“... It’s called a song.”

Her lips stretched to a wide smile at the new discovery, scooting closer to the male God Eater’s feet to continue listening.

_“Do give it a shot, Soma. Not like you’re going to lose anything if you accept that friendship.”_


	42. True Love's Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What?!” The older male growled. “You better fucking not.”
> 
> Lenka wasn’t sure what exactly was making Soma so angry, and what it is that C wants him to do, but he’s sure it would be bad for him to further involve himself. Waltzing out of the room would be the best option, but C held him in a metal grip on his arm. As he remained in silence, the two continued to bicker; Soma in his irritated tone and C grinning in a rather teasing manner. “Why not?” He heard the hooded girl ask. “You’ll never know until you try!”
> 
> “Try what?” The unit captain finally questioned, evident confusion still all over his face.
> 
> “Kissing Sleeping Beauty awake, what else?” C answered.

The air was heavy inside the laboratory. Lenka internally figured it wasn’t the right moment to open his mouth, but does it matter to him? “Well, there goes the two days,” he finally said, bringing all eyes on him. “Negative.” Sakuya lowered her gaze and sighed while Paylor continued the staring game with the unit captain.

Soma’s piercing sharp glares were inevitable. “Why are you speaking like it’s some sort of deadline?” He hissed, knowing perfectly what the younger God Eater was trying to say. And he doesn’t want to talk about it. He doesn’t want to talk about how Yuka is still unconscious in that stupid bed in the sick bay. “She’s my problem, not yours.”

“Well, she has fully recovered,” Paylor cut off before the conversation could lead somewhere heated. “... physically speaking. Yuka’s body system is unique. When her physical body enters a perilous state, it works itself to numbness, allowing her to take her head off the pain all over. That’s not a surprise it happened again.”

“Again?” Alisa asked, leaning forward a bit from where she was seated. “Do you mean to say this incident has occurred before?”

Sakaki’s lips pursed to a small smile. “Yes, though not as... severe as this one.” He craned his neck to the direction of the dark-skinned God Eater. “You do remember the incident with the Tezcatlipoca, don’t you?” The other grumbled. “Well, the numbness happens until she’s conscious, and when she’s not anymore, her body repairs itself. You could say it is similar to a state of coma, where she remains unconscious until she has fully healed. The problem is...”

“She is, but she hasn’t waked up yet.” Lenka found himself being subjected to icy glares once more. It wasn’t that he is competing with Soma for anything, but he is the captain of the First Unit, and everybody under him is his responsibility. Plus, the guilty feeling still rests within his chest that he hesitated to assist the blonde just because of an Ouroboros. If he had gathered everyone there sooner, perhaps they could have avoided this situation.

He totally is _not_ competing against his veteran senior. What is there to compete for anyway?

Amidst the silent war, Sakuya spoke, “So, there’s still no assurance when will Yuka wake up, huh... Doctor, what exactly is her condition, anyway?” The littlest noises died that very moment, as the team’s eyes landed on the old man. “We... have little to no idea what is going on with her. How would we know how we can help? What’s happening with Yuka?”

“Shio!” The pale Aragami girl chirped.

“Shio? No,” Sakuya chuckled softly. “It’s Yuka, Shio. We need to know what’s going on with her. You... don’t happen to have any idea, do you?”

“Shio!” She said once more.

Kota cocked up a brow. “Shio’s happening with Yuka? She doesn’t make any sense!”

“We’re not supposed to be asking her either,” Alisa snorted. “What would Shio even know?”

“Well, you can never tell,” Sakuya answered. “Even up to now, she still manages to surprise us.” A fond smile decorated her face as she watched the little Aragami tug on her foot, up until she fell back to the floor. “... and so does she.”

A while later, Kota stretched out his leg, crossing one over the other and reclined back to the couch, hands behind his head. “Seeing that Yuka’s out of commission for an indefinite time period, she’s kind of like Alisa when she was blacked out too, right? After the...” His expression saddened. “... the Moon in the Welkin.”

The two New-Types exchanged glances. Kota might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t sharp at all. In fact, he might have even suggested a working solution without him knowing it. _Yeah, maybe that could work;_ the Russian’s blue eyes seemed to tell him. But Lenka himself was a little too hesitant on proposing such thing. He didn’t want to open up an idea that still has a chance to fail. He didn’t want to incur more of Soma’s wrath. Perhaps he could give it a shot—once he gets through this.

Yuka herself did say that Resonance is unique among New-Types, right? And she is a New-Type, regardless of whatever she says. As he engrossed himself in the thoughts of Resonance, he found their Aragami friend crawl towards him and sat, fingers curling on the fabric of his pants. “Flower...” She mumbled, swaying her head left and right as she looked up at the captain. “... Shio... Hungry...”

Surely, there are meanings behind her words.

* * *

Soma really could say he’d have enough of C, and would rather not deal with it when he can help it. The recent mission went haywire thanks to some shitty fuck up, and it still makes his head boil every bloody time he remembers. But as fate would have it, there was C, standing on the foot of Yuka’s bed. “You know,” the girl began with a grin.”I could smell your desperation from here.” He stood there, lips pursed and glares sharp. “Oh, so desperate you’d sell your soul to the devil now, huh?”

“Leave.”

She flicked her head back to the blonde’s figure. “I kind of understand why you’re still rejecting my help, apart from your ego, of course. You still haven’t tried all the possible solutions.” When the male only raised a brow in question, C’s grin grew. “I have one thing you could give a shot.”

They barely made a five-minute talk but Soma had already turned his back on C, proceeding to sit on the stool by the bed. The pale girl crossed her arms and pouted. “What? It always worked!” She was met by a low growl, but she was never the one to back down, was she? “Come on, it’s worth a shot! You’re not losing anything if you try. If you didn’t... Well, that’s an entirely different thing.”

“You could go fuck yourself.”

“She wouldn’t mind. Trust me. Hell, she might even like it. Ten out of ten.”

Soma hated being pushed into one of C’s silly ideas. The last time it happened, he got himself drunk. He isn’t going to make a fool out of himself again. “I won’t tell a soul, Moonboy.”

It was, in all honesty, a stupid idea. What guarantees that it would work anyway? There’s no scientific shit to prove it. His hesitation and silence allowed C to continue speaking until her own patience wears off, “Doesn’t your ego want you to be the one to fix her? Because I could always ask somebody else...” It doesn’t change the fact that the idea is as ridiculous as it is. When she brought her gaze back to Soma, he was now standing on the side of the bed.

“If this doesn’t work, I’m going to hang you with more Ogretail spikes.”

“Just shut up and do it.”

He will surely regret this sooner or later, but judging from the expression the pale girl was wearing right now, she looked dead serious about this whole ordeal. She stood there defiantly, arms crossed. Glaring at her once more, Soma leaned down.

He’s not nervous, and more importantly, he isn’t scared. If anything, he’s irritated at the fact that he has to do something that is not in his nature. “Just make it like the one she gave you back at the carrier.” How did the bastard even know of that?! “You know, sweet and heartfelt—whatever that means.” Another growl emanated from his throat and he turned to C once more, just as when he was halfway to the blonde’s face. _“Wake up the sleeping princess with a heartfelt kiss,”_ was what the bastard was suggesting. Well, easier said than done!

Though they kissed—Yuka kissed him a couple of times before, this task is just different. And it is not in any way easy. He might be desperate enough to sell his soul but this whole thing is—is—!

It’s outrageous!

“I’ve been wondering why you’re hesitating all this time. It’s just Flower, isn’t it? Could it be... you’re getting cold feet? Nervous?” It was then that the Devil’s lips twisted to a smirk. “As far as I remember, you’ve never kissed a girl voluntarily, being this cold-hearted Death God and all.” When the only thing she received in response was a ‘tch’, she exploded into a fit of laughter. “You’re chickening out! You’re chickening out on kissing a girl!” The male God Eater was about to retort in anger, but his favorite information broker just kept talking. “I know, I know! From this day forward, you’re no longer Moonboy!” Well, isn’t that a relie— “But Moon kin—chicken of the moon! Since you have those silly moon wolf and moon goddess, it isn’t exactly out of place, no?”

“Why don’t you just shut up?”

“Or what? You’ll launch moon eggs on me?” And she was in another fit of laughter again. “You can’t even grow balls to kiss her!”

At that point, he returned to the subject at hand.

He’s not nervous. He’s not getting cold feet. He’s _definitely NOT_ chickening out. What value are kisses anyway? This sleeping bitch had stolen plenty from him! Fuming still, he forced himself down until his lips met hers, pressing them together for no more than two or three seconds. That still counted as a kiss, right?

To his surprise and irritation, C called out angrily to him, “What kind of crap was that?! Put some bloody feelings into it! It’s called true love’s kiss for a reason!”

“The hell with that! You don’t even understand half of what you’re talking about!”

“Do it again! Do it again!”

Honestly? It felt a little awkward, especially under the bastard’s watch. Sadly, there was nothing left to do but swallow. “Yuka...” He whispered, gently stroking her hair now, while his other hand instinctively pressed over her own. “You better fucking wake up.”

“Absolutely romantic.”

Disregarding the recent comment, the dark-skinned male once again brought his face closer to the unknowing blonde’s. When has her skin started going paler? Keeping the question for some other day and ignoring the teal-haired girl singing ‘Kiss the Girl’ in the background, he leaned forward until her shallow breaths were ghosting over his skin. _This is bullshit._ But C was still singing not far away, and surely, she wouldn’t stop until Soma gets this silly job done.

So, he forced himself back to work, once more pressing his lips against the unconscious blonde’s—gently this time. A swelling erupted in his chest he didn’t want to bother about, as he was there, under C’s watch.

He wasn’t sure how long exactly did that last. Five seconds, maybe? Even then, there was not the slightest change in Yuka’s breathing; still shallow and almost rhythmical. Perhaps the effect isn’t as instant as he was expecting. He waited, but she didn’t stir.

Finally, C spoke again. “Huh, guess it only works on fairy tales.”

Soma wanted to rip her guts out. Well, that was foolish of him to believe in the bastard’s words in the first place. His glares turned deadly, directed towards the pale girl.

“Oh, wait a sec.” She dashed out of his murderous sight, and there was the sound of the door opening. Immediately after, C exclaimed, “Just who I was looking for—a much more charming Prince Charming!”

There was a faint and confused “W-Wait, what...?” that rose within the room and C returned, dragging with her a bewildered Utsugi Lenka. “Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t know Yuka-san still has visitors. I’ll just come back later—”

“No need!” C grinned. “You have to show Moonboy how it’s done!”

“What?!” The older male growled. “You better fucking not.”

Lenka wasn’t sure what exactly was making Soma so angry, and what it is that C wants him to do, but he’s sure it would be bad for him to further involve himself. Waltzing out of the room would be the best option, but C held him in a metal grip on his arm. As he remained in silence, the two continued to bicker; Soma in his irritated tone and C grinning in a rather teasing manner. “Why not?” He heard the hooded girl ask. “You’ll never know until you try!”

“Try what?” The unit captain finally questioned, evident confusion still all over his face.

“Kissing Sleeping Beauty awake, what else?” C answered.

“K-kiss...?”

“Of course!”

“Forget it! That’s absolute crap!”

C brought her attention back to the raging male. “What are you getting so worked up about?” She snickered. “It’s _just_ a kiss. Flower surely wouldn’t mind.” She turned to ask the raven-haired male, “Would you?”

Lenka tried to stay as composed as he can under Soma’s unwavering glare. “If it helps Yuka-san, I suppose I wouldn’t.”

“See?” The pale girl grinned as he pushed the younger male towards the bed, though her attention was still at Soma. “Honestly though, I don’t find a fitting reason why you’re against this idea. You’re not the boyfriend, are you? Nope. Totally not. So why are you stopping him?” She mauled over the ideas in her head for a brief moment, unfazed by the sharp glares sent towards her figure. “Are you afraid little Lotus Boy would succeed in waking up _your_ sleeping princess?” There was no answer given to the question, only a glare filled with every bit of murderous intent.

C raises a good point, Lenka wouldn’t deny that, but he himself had been witness to Soma’s... over protectiveness, and it only makes him more hesitant to do what C tells him to. Besides, the senior’s intense glares sure look like they could kill.

When none of the two males said a word, C just continued speaking. “So, you have a way to save her, but your jealousy refuses to let it happen.” Jealousy? What would Soma even be jealous about? “Way to go, lover boy,” she snickered. “It’s a lose-lose situation.”

“WHY THE HELL WOULD _THAT_ WORK?!” The white-haired male finally growled angrily at the petite female, causing the other male to flinch. “It’s baseless shit! How certain are you that it’s going to work?!”

“Do you want to place your bet? Want to fight a battle you’re sure to lose? Because I’m one hundred percent sure this resonance is going to be a success.” A victorious grin danced across the pale girl’s masked face and her attention shifted towards the leader. “Go ahead. I got you,” she assured him, as if certain the other would be safe from a certain God Eater boiling in rage. Does it really have to be a kiss though? Can’t he just hold her hand like he did with Alisa’s? “You tried that before, didn’t you?” C told him when he spoke out his concern. “Didn’t work, did it?”

Well, that’s true, and maybe that was the moment he started getting to Soma’s bad side.

“So, go ahead.”

Soma still looked upset from where he now sat, arms crossed and glares still existent underneath his hood. “Do it, for all I care,” he hissed, despite his body language saying otherwise.

Well, this surely is going to end up awkward. But now he has consent from Soma, though it was kind of forced out of him. And true that Yuka wouldn’t mind, considering she’s unconscious, but does it _really_ have to be a kiss?

On another note, C wouldn’t let any of them live their lives without this happening. He would just have to stick in his head that this is to help his female senior to regain consciousness.

His shaking fingers crept to the edge of the bed, leaving creases on the sheets as they went. He leaned closer, heart drumming against his own chest—because this is seriously nerve wracking and he’s about to—forced to kiss a girl who is probably far from interested in him in front of the girl who gathers dirt on everybody and the guy who this sleeping girl openly claims. He might as well finish this and feed himself to the Dyaus Pita afterwards.

“Try an Ouroboros,” the information broker said as if reading his mind. “Make sure it’s a heartfelt kiss, alright?” Does C never stop talking? It would really be so much help if they could shut her up for once. “Moon kin here apparently doesn’t know how to do it, so there you are. Do pour in that entire silly little crush, okay?”

He flinched.

It was not a joke to say that C gathers dirt on everyone. How? Well, they’ll never know.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Lenka simply shut his eyes; face blazing, before feeling skin and warmth against his own lips. True that he’d been planning to give resonance a try, but he didn’t expect things to spiral down like this.

“I’m certain you’ve at least heard of the Devouring Apocalypse.” A voice quite familiar to him spoke, reaching his ears like that of an echo. Slowly, he opened his eyes, met by a blurry vision of stark white ceiling. As he made an attempt to crane his neck to the side, there was nothing to meet his gaze but an even more blurred sight; that of a figure turned against him, standing by the door. “Eito didn’t keep such important things to his daughter, did he? A chance for the world to start anew.”

He is... viewing this from Yuka’s point of view, isn’t he?

Though, why is everything around him so blurry? The visions he shared during Alisa’s resonance were far more vivid than these. Is Yuka barring him from these memories? Can she even do that while unconscious?

“But to restart this godforsaken world, you should know,” the voice—a male voice to be precise—spoke again. “... that it would require the Singularity.”

“That’s why you’re taking the matters to your own hands,” Yuka finally said, her voice dull and almost lifeless. She spoke the words nonchalantly, as if the details are obvious facts known to the world. “You wanted to create an artificial one, as there is no assurance if a being such as the Singularity exists. Please don’t try to sugar coat any of your words, Director.” Director...? “I’ve read all of it. The findings that you have had stated that your prospect test subjects are unfit for this goal of yours. They will be devoured easily by the Oracle Cells. They will not survive. And so, you are starting from scratch.”

The figure turned, and Lenka immediately recognized the blond hair and regal coat. Just from the voice and the way he spoke, he shouldn’t have had any doubts. “You truly have read it all.”

As if she hadn’t heard him, Yuka continued speaking, “But now you’ve found two perfect candidates for your gruesome experiment. Their physical bodies are accustomed to the existence of Oracle Cells within, so there are high chances they’ll not meet a fateful end as the others would have. But you only need one, and of course, you would have picked the better one—the stronger one, the one who had given you positive results since the very beginning.”

He waited for the Director to say a word, but he remained in silence.

“You know what would happen if the word gets out, right?” She asked. “Your position as Director of the Far East will be in danger. All of your projects will be terminated. Heck, _Onkel,_ you might even end up in jail with this inhuman plan of yours. Care to hear me out. Soma is still your son, whether you turn the world around. Flip it over, but he’s still your flesh and blood.”

“What are you implying?”

There was a short pause; Lenka thought of it as some kind of hesitation. “Pick me instead.”

Suddenly, he found delightful warmth coursing all over his body, gentle touches sending tingles in his skin. He could feel his chest about to burst, just as the scene around him dissolved to darkness. Is this still part of the resonance? Because this is the exact antonym of the gloom surrounding him a while ago. He was reminded of the times when Iroha would ruffle his hair and hold him securely in a warm, tight hug.

Then, a coughing sound registered in his ears. Faint at first, but at the second time, it sounded like it was only a few steps away.

Actually, it was.

Soma.

His eyes flew open in an instant, and he was staring straight at a pair of blue eyes that was as shocked at his. Lenka didn’t even get to explain or do anything at all, before he was abruptly pushed backwards, toppling out of the hospital bed. Yuka hid her hands behind her and turned to Soma, “I swear I wasn’t cheating on you,” like a child caught amidst the act of her crime.

The raven-haired male took the chance to recover from the blow and digest everything that he had seen and heard. It was too much to take in a single shot. Meanwhile, C happily cried out, “Flower! True love’s kiss worked!”

There was a sheepish laugh that emanated from the blonde’s lips as she held out her arms in a hug. “I knew that bullshit idea was yours, Cupcake.”

“Yeah, fuck you too.”

“Lenka...?” This is going to be awkward. This is going to be awkward. This is going to be awkward. He scratched his head and craned his neck to the direction of the blonde, pretending to have just gotten over the terrible blow. She smiled, “... Thank you.”

It went past his head right away. Instead, he stared straight at the blonde that now sat up on her bed—the same blonde who chose to suffer in secret for the sake of a person she holds dear. “It’s all for Soma-san... I see.”

He swore the two God Eaters froze right on their spots.

* * *

“Say, Kota.” The breeze brushed past his reddening cheeks, and the redhead God Eater momentarily stop fiddling with her fingers. “It’s not _that_ bad to have a crush, right?”

Kota’s round amber eyes blinked as the question sunk in his poor head. He opened his mouth to speak, and Lenka waited for a few good minutes until he finally heard proper words. “It isn’t Alisa, is it?”

“What...?”

The obvious spread of rosy coloration on the gunner’s cheek was visible under the Den’s warm lights. “You wouldn’t be able to stand her! Seriously! Do you see how she looks down at us from her tall, ivory tower? Hah! She thinks she’s so good! I’m pretty sure I can beat her to a pulp in a firing practice! Then she always go _harasho_ and _davai_ and _privyet_ like what do those even mean?! Can’t she just keep being on Japanese mode so I can understand her?!”

“But she’s Russian. I’m sure she’s—“

“And you know what? I invited her nicely for lunch over at our place with my mom and my little sister but all she ever did was embarrass me in front of Nozomi! It was so hard to keep a really good and awesome reputation before my sister and look what she did! Now, Nozomi likes her more than she does to me!”

“Isn’t that cute? Your family likes—“

“And she tells me I always dress horribly—a beanie and a scarf like it’s cold but a crop top like it’s hot—does she even see herself in front of the mirror?! It’s why she gets catcalled often by those other God Eaters! And she keeps complaining to me! _Me!_ ”

“You like Alisa, don’t you?”


	43. Short-lived Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm with Licca, remember? Engineering depart—" The obvious worry mixed with irritation caused her to pause and listen, a slight piercing pain beginning to present itself in her heart. Why is he so agitated? Is he panicking? For real? She stopped. "... What do you mean she's gone?"

Yuka wasn't sure if she had done something wrong. "Did I, Sakuya?" She asked the equally clueless sniper. "He had been _that_ cold for days." She momentarily stopped from a tour of the old power plant, and Sakuya followed soon after. "I don't remember doing anything to upset him that much."

Sakuya wished she had all the answers for when everyone literally comes up to her to ask. Being the oldest sure has its downsides. "Isn't it just his usual self? I don't see any difference in his behavior."

"I guess... I guess I'm just over-thinking this, no?" She glanced up at the older female to find her face decorated by a warm, reassuring smile. "... Yup, I definitely am." But she's not Ichinose Yuka if she will just rest with that bloody resolve. Soma openly rejected her when she wanted to be his partner for one of the missions—he just usually doesn't care.

"If you're that bothered, talk to him," Sakuya told her with a roll of her eyes.

The blonde mirrored her expression. "That's just going to make him push me away even more."

"Then go for the opposite approach. Let him be for a bit."

In return to the sniper's suggestion, she laughed, "That's what I've been doing for days." Her laughter then mellowed to a low, whiny groan. "If this goes on, Sakuya, I swear to the heavens I'd go nuts in no time. I _miss_ him."

"Oh, you'll be fine. You stuck with that attitude for twelve years straight. What more are a few days?" Another laugh made it past the sniper's lips at the sight of the blonde childishly pouting. "Speaking of Soma, I'm surprised to know that there is actually a tame side to him." Her eyes traveled from the sheepishly smiling blonde to the environment surrounding them, puddles of water creating little splashes and ripples as they walked over. The gentle sound of running water was a serene music to the ears. "I've worked with him for some time now, but he'd always be like a silent wolf ready to pounce. Even Alisa was surprised to discover that his hands hold gentleness in them." Though it was more of a surprise to see that the blonde was not fussing over the topic as she expected she would. Instead, her eyes had that rather wistful gaze towards the horizon. "And when C teased him about losing you," Sakuya continued, watching her expressions intently. "You should have seen his facade crumble."

Yuka sighed. "Soma feels he is responsible of my well-being. He thinks if something happens to me, he will be the one to blame. C doesn't help in that field either—she just keeps taunting Soma about it. I can't make a jump into that furnace without burning him too. Don't misinterpret it as him caring for me, Sakuya. He just... doesn't break promises." She turned to look at the sniper, but broke eye contact almost immediately. "He made one with my father—to look after me."

"But... for him to keep that promise this long... Surely, it could at least mean he does care, right? He might not just be aware of it. It is Soma, after all."

They shared laughter, and the pensive glaze on her eyes momentarily vanished. "Say, Sakuya," the blonde then began, shortly after a while of silence. "We've been in and around the plant but the charged Chi-You hasn't shown up yet."

"Could it have flown away?" The raven-haired female asked, eyes narrowing.

"Highly doubt that." Aragami activity had hollowed out the primary power plant facility underground, which caused most of it to collapse and sink. They have only rounded up the ground level. If the Chi-You is nowhere to be found upland, then either it did have flown away or... A stark white figure appeared on her vision for split second, and though unclear, Yuka found it a much safer option to push the Vice Captain out of the way, for the figure was right at their very feet. "Shit—!"

The avian Aragami ascended from underground, its feet and the edges of its wings dripping wet. It was chewing on a scrap of metal when it spotted the two God Eaters. They both scrambled to their feet.

"Okay. This time, life throws us a murderous flying Tesla coil drenched in the perfect conductor," she hissed.

The sniper laughed. "We've seen worse. Steer clear of the waters, Yuka."

"Roger that, mom."

They jumped to opposite directions.

* * *

It was one mission after the other. It wasn't that she minds, considering she has to catch up to two days worth of workload. She really just wishes to get some time alone with Soma to talk. He's grown rather cold after the resonance incident with Lenka, and there was not really any reason for him to do that, was there? "Oh, come on, Flower. He's obviously jealous," C's voice resonated through her earpiece. "Seeing him still refuse to admit seriously makes me puke." She faked a gagging sound, which led the blonde to let out a small laugh.

"What will he be jealous about, huh?" She then asked, watching the glow of Knightfall's core slowly subside. The Kongou at her feet now lay motionless, and the Quadriga was feeding within the carrier's vicinity. "... And why?" It was tough to single out the two Aragamis and surely, a break in the middle of this solo mission wouldn't be that bad.

C would have rolled her eyes if it weren't for the mask. "Because wolves are extremely territorial and apparently, he doesn't fancy the idea of Lotus Boy having a big crush on his Sunshine. Also, he doesn't like you entertaining the other boy and continuously feeding that silly infatuation."

It was Yuka who did roll her eyes as she left the corpse to decay in a black mass. "I’m not—" She drew quotation marks in the air, despite the physical absence of the other. "—feeding that silly infatuation. Lenka is kind and reliable. As a senior, it is only right to return that kind of treatment, isn't it? I am looking after him as I do with Kota and Alisa."

"But the fact that he has those little fluttering butterflies with you changes the whole picture. Moon kin sees him as a threat, and you know a wolf doesn't like spotting a threat within its territory."

"Oh, please, C—"

"There's also the fact that he kissed you twice but you didn't wake up and when Lenka sweeps in—"

Her face flamed the very instant the memory returned to her head, and she saved the hunting of the remaining Aragami for a few minutes later. "Don't be silly, Cupcake. Soma knows it's Resonance. It was you who insisted that they kiss me."

There was laughter from the other side of the line. "But you liked it, didn't you?"

"I'm getting back to work."

"Oh~" The pale girl cooed. "Avoiding the subject now, are we?"

The blonde snorted on her hand as she took light steps towards the tank Aragami. It let out a loud howl, mixed with the sounds of gears and machinery clicking. One deep breath and she struck it right at its hind legs. The beast flinched in surprise and turned around in search of its attacker, rattling the ground underneath in the process.

Seriously. Soma? Jealous? That's way out of the character he had established. And to be jealous of Lenka, of all people? "Moon kin is cold, but he isn't dumb," C spoke once more. "He knows what a threat is when he sees one. It is pretty damn obvious anyway. Could you actually be the dense one, Sunshine?" She swung the blade straight to its open torpedo launcher, tearing some flesh off the body itself. The Quadriga wailed in both pain and rage, just as she took off from the ground to smash it right on the face.

The Aragami staggered and howled, nearly drowning out the voice of C in her ear. "Really? You don't notice those gross shine of his eyes when you talk and smile at him? How he just stops and watches you?"

"C—" Yuka cut in, evading the barrage of torpedoes sent by the rampaging Aragami. "—you don't even understand love—human emotions in general. What makes you think I'll believe your rambling about Lenka having a crush on me?"

The pale girl made a 'pft' sound that was barely audible. "It doesn't mean I'm not observant, Sunshine."

When the Quadriga paused from its trample-and-leap activity and opened up its chest for another torpedo attack, Yuka allowed the building Charge Crush to be released through one powerful swing. It hit the Aragami in no less than a blink of an eye, as it wailed and roared in an attempt to withstand the devastating attack. "You know, you're just going to make it awkward between the two of us." The large beast finally relented and collapsed to the ground, its chest open and pulsing as if gasping for air. As the God Eater approached the weakened Aragami, it roared once more in refusal and made an attempt to stand up, but she struck it back to a downed state in one heavy swing.

"Cute though," the information broker chuckled. "You should have seen Moon kin’s face when Lotus Boy was trying to help in patching you up."

When the Quadriga tried to retaliate by summoning its missile pods, she immediately shot it down. It continued to thrash around before the God Eater's wake, much to the blonde's irritation that had been building up courtesy of a certain information broker. Knightfall morphed back to its blade form, and ignoring the continuous rambling of C in her ears, Yuka allowed her predator to devour the fallen Aragami's core, rendering it lifeless.

"Good job today!" Hibari's warm smile surely could brighten up anybody's day. It's not a wonder why Tatsumi loved hanging around by the mission desk. "Please get some rest." Yuka replied with a quick 'you too' before climbing up the stairs, seeing their three youngest members arrive from the section elevator.

"You three sure look like you got rekt," she chuckled as they slumped down on the couch, obviously tired. Kota threw his head back and spread his arms across the couch's back. "Did you have a hard time?"

Alisa looked like she was conflicted in snuggling next to the blonde for a good rest, or keeping up with her prideful persona and instead sitting regal on her spot. "We did run into unexpected things, but—"

"—a group of Kongous on the way back," Lenka cut in, gaze firm on the blonde's blue eyes. "They were pretty persistent and we decided to retaliate."

She laughed. "But it was tough, wasn't it?"

His expression softened as he smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, it was."

"We were thankful that this Vajra swooped in just as we were regrouping," Kota butted in, almost in a slurred, tired voice. "It chewed them down unbelievably quick. We somehow managed to escape. Ugh, I could really go for some good food right now."

Sakuya and Soma soon stepped out of the gate's elevator, just in time when Hibari came and approached the unit. "You have a message from Dr. Sakaki," the redhead operator began. "It appears he wants to meet all of you in his office as soon as possible." Her gaze travelled towards every member, and she received a nod in response.

"Thanks, Hibari," Sakuya called out. She then gestured at all of them to move forward, and Kota and Alisa rose from their seats in excitement. Whenever the doctor calls them to his office, it usually means one thing—Shio. Be it a problem with her appetite or an update on her learning, it has been news to look forward to for them. Shio was like the little child of the family; one they have to look after regardless of how tiring it is, but nevertheless always plasters a genuine smile on their faces.

"Yuka!"

The call jolted said blonde out of her seat and she frantically searched for the source of the voice. The rest of the unit was as confused as she was, and Soma was already wearing an unamused glare barely three seconds after. "There you are!"

"Oh, Licca. Is there something wrong?" It was Kota who asked.

The mechanic blinked momentarily at the team, before she brought her attention back to the still confused female God Eater. "Could you come with me for a moment?"

"But Dr. Sakaki wants to meet us—" Before Alisa could even finish; Yuka noticed the said mechanic cock her head to the direction of their leader and afterwards returned her gaze to the blonde. "Is it really important, _sestra_?" She wished to reason out about Shio, considering the Aragami girl had been looking for her the past days, but then again, she isn't exactly a topic that can be discussed out in the open.

"It is pretty important," she answered with a sigh. "I'm sure the doctor would understand."

"What is this all about now?" A certain dark-skinned God Eater hissed, much to everyone's surprise. It wasn't very often that he shows interest in things around him; especially to those that doesn't involve him at all. Though, he didn't receive a very satisfying answer but the sight of her confident smile before she was dragged off by the God Arc engineer.

Yuka held no questions as Licca dragged her across the facility, through doors and halls, ultimately arriving at the engineering department of the Far East Branch. She watched as the other entered the access code to a room she's too familiar with, and surely, like what she was expecting, Rebellion sat on one end of the room, installed into a machinery connecting it to a set of devices monitoring it. "It's falling out already?" She then asked, slipping out of her sniper jacket.

"Well, no, but sooner or later—what is that?" Licca stared at the stark white coloration patching her left chest just above the black bandeau the God Eater was wearing. It had spread almost to her shoulder and a portion of her left upper arm. There were even white spots dotting her skin next to the questioned patch. "Does Dr. Sakaki know?"

Yuka made a grab for a shorter coat, white with short sleeves, and slid herself in. "Yeah. Kind of. It's the team that doesn't." She tied the ends of the coat over her chest, before gathering her hair into a low ponytail. "So, back to this fellow—" She gestured at the God Arc. "—is Lenka in danger?"

The other stepped aside from a monitor screen. "Not for now. This prototype could handle his erosion far better than any ordinary God Arc—which is surprising in its own—but his Oracle Cell erosion continues to eat away its stability. It could last a few more use, I'm certain, but his compatibility rate is really far too much for any kind of technology we have currently."

"Then even the properties of the P73 Bias Factor aren’t of much use, is it?" She sighed. "If this prototype’s stability finally drops, Lenka is in so much trouble."

Licca appeared rather confused. "What do you mean? Won't it just break like his first God Arc?"

"No." The images flashed back in her head. Though they did not have the same effect to her as they did in the past, the guilt and regret they carry with them still continue to press against her heart. "It wouldn't break. If it grows unstable, the compatibility will go haywire. With Lenka's current compatibility rate... well, he might as well just let his own infection kill him. That's certainly a better option."

"The new God Arc Dr. Sakaki is preparing for him still isn't ready for use. There are a lot more tests and experiments that should be completed before we could officially release it. I'm not certain if it could arrive in time before this prototype comes into its danger zone, but if the need arises, the doctor might just be forced to skip a few tests." The engineer frowned slightly. "But then again, I don't think it could be of much help to his infection either. In fact, overexerting it might just worsen his current condition."

Yuka fiddled with a few buttons under Licca's watch, bringing up a few windows before her. "You know... The current technology we have right is good enough. We can't lower his compatibility rate, but there's a possibility of constructing an actual God Arc that might be able to meet his conditions."

"Really?"

"Yup. We just need to construct it from the right Aragami materials. I can't promise that Lenka will live longer than what the doctor had claimed, but if we could work this one out, then his compatibility might become the least of our worries."

The other female watched her work her way with the device as she pleased. "You sure know a lot, don't you, Yuka? I wouldn’t be surprised if in the next years, you’ll be the one to take over the doctor’s position."

The God Eater laughed. "I guess I just take after my father. He handled studies about Oracle Cells and God Arcs in the past too along with the Director and Dr. Sakaki. His ideas are just a little too forward in his time. I'm only putting them to good use. About the whole taking-over thing, I don’t think I’m well-prepared for that one just yet. I’m still way out of the old man’s league. Besides... Oh, never mind. Let's get started on the tinkering?"

That was a good idea, if it wasn't for a bloody phone call. Yuka pouted slightly as she picked it up. "Where the hell are you?!"

"Is that Soma?"

She nodded and sighed. "I'm with Licca, remember? Engineering depart—" The obvious worry mixed with irritation caused her to pause and listen, a slight piercing pain beginning to present itself in her heart. Why is he so agitated? Is he panicking? For real? She stopped. "... What do you mean she's gone?"


	44. Selbstmitleid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You don't have to smile if it really hurts."
> 
> She stopped.
> 
> Did her eyes give her away? Was it the faltering of her voice? The shaking of her fingers? Why is she crumbling right before him?
> 
> She stopped.
> 
> Because the concern drawn over her captain's face was genuine.

Yuka never imagined she could be more stressed than she already was. She didn't know what Soma meant by _gone_ but it drove her to a panic that she didn't even bother changing out of the mechanic coat she was wearing from her discussion with Licca. The events whirled around her so fast that the next thing that clearly registered inside her head was riding a helicopter with Lenka and Soma.

"According to the data provided by the doctor," Lenka was saying, "there's a Sariel and a few Spark Cocoon Maidens surrounding the area. Before we could start looking for Shio, we would have to clear them all up first." His gaze shifted towards the two veterans with him; Yuka was still at a complete loss, while Soma, as usual, looked like he couldn't give any care. "Afterwards, we could split up and do an individual search."

The blonde frowned. "Okay, but is no one really going to tell me how the hell it happened?"

"Well, Dr. Sakaki wanted to give her a change of clothes," the raven-haired God Eater began. "But she was complaining that it was stiff and scratchy, so he asked help from Sakuya and Alisa. While they were dressing her, as they said when it was just all smoke and debris, she tore a hole in the wall and fled."

So that was why Soma was so angry, huh? Yuka glanced at the direction of the said God Eater, who hadn't spoken a word since they boarded the vehicle. Seeing that he is worried for Shio only means they are somehow friends now, right? And that's good, right?

"We're here." Soma's voice finally rose, just as the sounds of Sariel registered in their ears. "We have to take off from here."

Lenka was to reason out why they can't do that, but it would have fallen to deaf ears as the older male was out of sight. "... Yuka-san?"

Apparently, the woman in question was already finished in uncasing her own God Arc. "He's right. Any closer might endanger our pilot." And just like that, she was gone too.

Although, the Sariel was a pretty easy job to accomplish, honestly speaking. The only difficulty lying within it was the fact that its weak point was a little too far from reach. But once it was down on the ground, it was dead meat. Dividing the search work came pretty easy too, and it wasn't long after when Yuka found herself staring down at the lifeless Aragami all by herself.

He had seen that expression of Soma before—many times in the past when she thought she had made him worried. Before, she was thinking that she just inconvenienced him that much, which is why he is angry. But looking at him now...

Maybe Sakuya is right. Maybe Soma does care more than the two of them realize.

"Isn't that... delightful?" She smiled to herself. "The Death God cares. Well, priorities, Yuka. Shio now, fluttering stomach butterflies later."

Minutes of scouting, killing a few Cocoon Maidens and calling out to the Aragami girl did no good. She wasn't in the area—her area, at least. Lenka was still checking a few corners in his side and promised to regroup soon, but so far, negative. "Alright," she said. "I'll check with Soma to see how he's doing." A small sigh went past her lips as she started to move.

She was just by the foot of the temple's stairs when she heard his voice, "Playtime's over. Let's get back now." His voice echoed slightly at the emptiness of the temple.

"I don't like that scratchy thing!" Another voice—Shio's—whined.

"When all is said and done, you're still a monster, huh?" He laughed.

_He laughed._

Yuka nearly dropped her own God Arc as she slid down from the frost-covered wall she leaned on. _He laughed._ A small complain from Shio had made him laugh. "Stupid," she whispered. "You're stupid. You're so bloody stupid, Yuka."

"Soma?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you still mad?" Shio finally asked. "You were really mad that day, Soma."

There was a short lapse of silence before Soma replied, "It has nothing to do with you."

"I did something wrong to you that day, didn't I, Soma? I don't like feeling scratchy either. I... I didn't do a good job, huh?"

"Listen to you," he then hissed, "you sound like a grownup! If I could live like you—live without having to think about myself at all—I bet it would be so much easier."

"Soma?"

"Huh?"

"Do you taste good yourself?"

He laughed once more, and to her ears, it was such a nice sound. She hadn't heard him laugh in years. In the end... telling him to accept Shio's friendship is a good thing... Isn't it? "Hey, why don't you think for yourself for once?" He fell silent once more, and there were faint sounds of rustling before Yuka heard his voice again. "Well, I guess you could say that we're both defects who don't even know who they are."

"Ah! So we're the same after all?"

"I told you—don't lump us together."

"Let's go find ourselves together!"

At this point, Yuka stood up, "Well, yeah... you do that. That's... a good idea," and she dragged herself away from the temple.

Lenka was just climbing up the ramp when he found his senior. "Ah, Yuka... san?" She didn't say a word and just pressed herself against him, face buried on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"... Yeah," she meekly answered. "Let's get back... to the copter."

"But Soma-san—"

"He will... bring Shio... in a few minutes."

He wanted to ask what happened, why she's keeping her head low now, why is her voice cracking, but he decided to set it aside and instead accompany her back to the vehicle.

* * *

Apparently, life is testing how much more pain she could handle. Honestly? It was hard. Harder than she thought. Harder than she expected. "Thanks for waiting," Sakuya smiled at the team as she stepped out of Shio's room. She looked extremely pleased and excited that Yuka felt guilty not smiling along with her. "Are you ready?"

Shio then stepped out of the room, hands clasped in front of her shyly, dressed in a clean white dress decorated with green laces. There was even a ribbon on front with a lovely rose pin. "Oh, my! I can't believe it! She's so cute!" Alisa exclaimed happily.

"She looks like a typical little girl, doesn't she?"

"Oh? Oh?" Shio perked up in excitement. "Heh, heh, heh!"

Kota grinned. "Hey! Pretty cute! Don't you think so, Soma?"

Yuka's gaze quietly flicked towards the male in blue hood. "Yeah... I guess so." _Ah, so that's how it is._

"Wow, didn't expect that kind of reaction." _Neither did I, Kota. Neither did I._

Shio is pretty cute, Yuka wouldn't even deny it, and Licca really outdid herself with the output. But she doesn't understand the irritation currently pooling at the pit of her stomach. Why does her chest hurt? Why can't she talk and praise her like everybody else? What is this sudden urge to cry? She doesn't even hate Shio in the first place. In fact, it was Shio who made their days better. So why can't she even give her a lasting glance?

"Flower..." The voice of C came from her commlink. "... You're jealous. Very, very jealous."

Shio looked happily at all of them, even at her, who was seated on one end of the couch, momentarily enjoying her moment of seclusion. "You know what, I feel good!" She stood straight and clasped her hands together once more, smiling softly. As silence filled the doctor's laboratory, Shio began to hum.

A song that was all too familiar. Yuka peered quietly up at the Aragami girl, studying everyone's reactions. They were all surprised to witness the act from the pale girl, except for Soma who was frozen in his spot. "Do you know this? It's called a song."

Alisa clapped in both amazement and delight. "That was good!"

"That was amazing, Shio," Lenka added.

"What's that? Was it a good job?" They nodded. "Heh, heh, heh! You don't say... I did a good job, huh? That makes me feel good!"

"Still," Sakuya spoke, "where did you learn how to sing?"

"Huh?" Shio turned towards the sniper. "Soma and I heard it together!"

The raven-haired female smiled. "Well, my, my..."

"Well, now! Is that right?" Alisa grinned with a flip of her hair. Yuka watched them in silence, and she can't be anymore thankful at the lack of attention she was receiving. If she starts talking to anybody, well... Who knows what she can do?

"B-Beats me."

"Hey!" The redhead's grin grew wide. "When did you two get all chummy? Yuka!" She flinched. "Do you know about this?"

 _That's it. That's it. This is where I'm definitely drawing the line. Before anything else._ She pretended not to hear him and instead uncrossed both arms and legs, avoiding all eyes. "I almost forgot..." She began, voice monotone. Thankfully, everyone is a little too dumb to pick that up. "I promised to help Licca in maintaining Rebellion. I better get going."

"Is my God Arc okay?" Lenka then asked, quite confused at the sudden bringing up of the topic.

"Yeah," the blonde answered as she stopped before the door. Though, her gaze remained straight ahead. "Don't worry. She just needs some extra care." Without even looking back, she continued, "Also, Soma, if it isn't much of a bother, please return my father's recorder as soon as possible." Her behavior surprised them all to silence that they just watched as the other disappeared behind the door.

Kota was the first to recover as he scratched his head. "What's up with her?"

"I'm not sure..." Alisa answered softly, before the thought struck her and she gasped, turning to the clueless redhead. "How-How insensitive of you!" She accused. "You shouldn't have—" The Russian sighed. "Oh, dear. Oh, my. Sakuya, what do we do?"

The vice captain was silent for a few minutes. "Soma, you should go after her."

Said male scoffed in return. "Tch, why should I when she's the one who's—"

"I'll go." It caused all questioning eyes to turn towards their leader. "I... want to know how my God Arc is too." Lenka wasn't sure how much of the team captain responsibility do the whole taking-care-of-teammates cover, but he could at least show concern for them, right?

There it goes.

That scrutinizing gaze was on him once again, but he brushed them off, gently patting Shio's head before he left the room.

* * *

> " _Oitsukenai kimi wa itsudemo_
> 
> _Kono basho kara nani o miteta_  
>  Te ni irereba ushinau monotachi kazoete  
>  Namida mo kakushiteita ne
> 
> _Massugusugiru sono hitomi wa  
>  Kono sekai o naname ni miteita_
> 
> _Yume wa kimi ga hitori egakujanaku_  
>  Mienai kaze ga todoketekureru  
>  Takaku tooku toberu ki ga shitara  
>  Tsunagu kono te hanasazu ni ite"

"The song was nice, but trust me on this one, Yuka-san. It will be a whole lot nicer if you'll take a step back from there." Of course, the whole thing with Licca was a lie, and it was only a means to escape. It wasn't a surprise they didn't quite figure it out, seeing that she genuinely had been busy with a lot of other things—his God Arc included.

A gentle breeze blew as he took a step closer to the railings where the other stood, wind brushing her hair and grazing her skin. Yuka brought her attention to the scene below her, and smiled softly. People were dotting the foot of the building, running and hustling about, houses stretching outwards to the direction of the gate. It is a tall drop, which cannot be denied. "Say, Lenka. Soma wouldn't catch me if I fall, would he?"

He should have figured it out. Simply from the way Yuka was acting before they left the temple, he should have guessed. Whenever she comes up in the roof deck—be it to sing or just think in silence—the root of the problem would always be Soma, isn't that right? "If he wouldn't, then I'll be the one to do it. I'll catch you, even if it wasn't for me that you fell."

"Is that a confession?" A short chuckle found its way out of her throat as she spoke, and Lenka felt his face blaze in embarrassment. As he was tongue-tied for a reply, Yuka only chuckled once again at his silence. "Having a crush isn't a bad thing." Well, there it goes. It's no point hiding it anyway, considering C was the first to spill. He was fine just watching her though, in this competition he is obviously losing. "In fact, it's natural. I'd admit to having a crush on Lindow even before we started doing things behind everybody's back... like assuring you will be appointed as leader of the First Unit if something does happen to him. Although, of course, most of it was because of your own efforts."

"It will be a much greater relief to talk without me worrying that any minute now, you would think of jumping."

Yuka laughed, lifting her head up. "Who said I plan to jump? The breeze here is just nice, that's all." There was another round of laughter that slipped past her lips as she stretched out both arms. "TRUST FALL!"

Believe it or not, the surge of panic was real within that split second. Maybe his senior is a wee bit crazy. She just declared a trust fall without even seeing if he's ready to catch her or not. She went and gave up a better life solely for one person. She takes the risks without any assurance of what might come out of it.

She isn't getting anything in return, but she still does it.

Indeed, she is a little crazy, but he loves her nonetheless. That's why when the delightful sound of laughter filled the open space of the roof deck, Lenka let her be and reveled at the moment of having her in his arms. "Soma-san... wouldn't catch you. He would jump after you and hold you during the fall, all while angrily calling you stupid and scolding you."

"He won't do that. Not anymore..."

It took quite a while convincing her to simply take a seat and lean on the railings instead, but he found his way around it. She wasn't smiling. Not anymore. She was just looking up at the sky, watching the clouds pass by. "Yuka-san... Can I ask a question?"

"It's 36-29-36."

"W-What?"

"Oh, was that not the question was all about?"

"N-No. What were the numbers for?"

She turned to his direction and cupped his face with the palm of her hands. "Lenka-kun... is a pure puppy, isn't he?" When she only received confusion in response, she burst out into laughter, and he found life within her eyes and voice again. "So, what was your question?"

"... Why?"

Her laughter died out into a deafening silence. "Lenka... Do you know how it feels to hold onto a single thread for a purpose to live?" Her words ended in a short pause, but the other showed no sign of response. "I lost nearly everything—my parents, my team, my life. Soma is..." A sigh. "He is the only thing that remained constant in this crap life of mine. Right now... he's more than everything to me." She smiled softly, pulling her knees close to her chest and drawing circles on the floor with her finger. "During the time the Director cleared his plans to me, believe me, I was at a loss. I literally had nothing to live for. I just thought, I don't have any more to lose anyway. Rather than lose him too—"

"You'd rather lose yourself, is that right?" It was then that she buried her face against her knees, throwing her arms around herself for further concealment. "Then, Yuka-san, have you never tried looking for a new reason to live? A new lifeline?"

Her iris blue eyes peeked out of their hiding place. "It's easier said than done, you know. I've been in love with him my entire life. Ever since the day I first met him. And when you love someone, you just don't stop. Ever. Even when people roll their eyes or call you crazy. Even then. Especially then."

"True enough."

"Besides, a reason to live... You don't find it. It finds you." Her lips stretched to a grin as she turned to face him once more, but in return, the younger male only averted his gaze.

"You don't have to smile if it really hurts."

She stopped.

Did her eyes give her away? Was it the faltering of her voice? The shaking of her fingers? Why is she crumbling right before him?

She stopped.

Because the concern drawn over her captain's face was genuine.

As a leader of her own unit, she promised herself not to cry—at least not in front of her team members. They were only kids, for goodness' sake, and she knew that if she crumbled before them, they would too. She didn't want them to lose their morale, to think that fighting is hopeless. She wanted to be the strong person they could rely on. That is why she never cried in front of them.

But she's not a leader now, is she? She stripped herself off the title. It is okay to cry now, isn't it?

That's why when she felt his arms around her, Yuka could only press herself further against his chest. It's okay to cry, right? Not because she cries doesn't mean she's not strong, right?

She has the right to cry.

Because it hurt.

It hurt so bad.

"You know how it feels—" She cried. "—to lose the only everything you have, right?" Her fingers curled around the fabric of his shirt. "To have the truth come crashing down at you, right? The truth that you don't have anything? To lose all those that are precious to you? To wake up from that stupid dream only to find out everything isn't as you thought it was?"

He knew how it feels. He knew how horrible it feels. After all, he'd seen his everything be taken from him right before his eyes until he was forced to leave them behind—to leave _her_ behind. "... Yuka-san." But simply sitting here was equally horrible. He couldn't even do anything other than listen. Other than hold her closer in his arms.

Same as that day, he could only do this one useless thing.

"Do you know how it feels to stand behind someone your whole life but never have them look back at you? To fight endless battles alone and to know you're going to die alone?" Her hands balled to fists and she started to pump against his chest. "I'm not okay! I'm not okay! I'm not..." She paused, and her fingers returned to their coil on his shirt. "... I'm not okay. I'm lost. I'm hurt. I'm broken." It was then that her cries softened to sobs. Still, Yuka remained pressed against the younger's chest, her breaths rapid as she sniffed and whimpered.

She was just... so fragile right now. But she's going to be okay. She's going to find her way back. The pain will disappear. She will be fixed. Not now, but someday, surely.

"Remember when you asked me if I regret my decision?" She asked, a bit calmer now. Though, he still could feel the warmth of her tears drenching his shirt. A soft 'yeah' came out of him as a response. "Maybe I do regret it. Maybe I do want to be selfish after all. Maybe I do want things to remain as they are. Maybe I do want to keep him all to myself. Maybe I really am afraid of change... I'm afraid to find out that I'm all alone in the dark; that everything I believed in and held onto was just my imagination; that everything around me was but a rented reality; that I'm really nothing to everybody."

He wished he could say something to console her, but then, that was Iroha's thing, not his. It was what the older siblings do. He didn't know what to say. He thought of telling Sakuya in hopes of her being able to help, but he doubted the blonde in her arms would appreciate it. After all, she trusted him enough to break down like this before him. He couldn't afford to break that much of her trust.

"It wasn't that he didn't love me back that hurt me the most. I wasn't the fact that I already knew we weren't meant to be that hurt me the most. It was that fact that I was aware of all that and was still desperately holding onto him, hoping he'd keep a piece of me—it was that hope that hurt me the most."


	45. Icy Damsel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It mostly is on this kind of a thing that their spirits and goals are undivided—dramatic to think of such but that’s the truth. At this point, the prospect of finally avenging a lost comrade had riled them up more than anything else. "Take extra caution once we're dealing with the Prithvi Mata. We'll concentrate on unbinding its weak parts, just as what the Major had told us. Keep a sharp eye on its movements. Lastly..." His gaze made another round at them and he sighed. "... Let's not be rash with our actions. We will take down this beast. For Lindow."
> 
> "For Lindow," they agreed.

"Doc, is it alright if I ask to see the scans from before?"

She still isn't okay, to be honest, but Yuka can't keep herself holing up inside her room when there are lots of other things that need more of her attention. These include IRIS, Rebellion and of course... "I heard he got back," she said as the doctor rose from his seat and went for his storage of records.

"He did," Paylor answered, pulling out the required folders and handing it over to the blonde. "In fact, he sent Utsugi to a confidential mission about an hour ago."

"What do you plan to do with... Shio?" She then asked. "If he finds out, we all are in deep trouble." Though 'being in trouble' with the man in question is far from her concerns right now.

Paylor pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Well, I have my ways. This room is isolated from any department of the branch. It runs in its own communication and infrastructure system." The doctor smiled at her. "Unless something unplanned comes up, Shio is safe here. By the way, I've added the most recent scans in that file, and I recommend you take a clear look at them."

"I will. Thank you, Doc. I'll be on my way."

"Yuka." Her steps came to a halt, just as she was ready to open the door, the folder tucked under her arm. "Had there been any changes... to your plans?"

A small bitter smile found its way to her lips. "Don't worry about my plans, Doc. Rest assured, I'm still on your side. I'll help you keep Shio safe, no matter what."

_Stupid._

Without even looking back, she strode for the section elevator, not bothering to lift her head up. She bumped shoulders with a few passing God Eaters and mumbled a sorry to them before slipping into the confinement.

_Why the hell do you feel like crying again? That's stupid. Stupid, stupid._

The elevator began to move downwards and it didn't even take long for it to open again. As soon as the doors were no longer in the way, Yuka bolted out of it. "Oi," a voice came as she passed, but even him was paid no attention—almost as if he didn't exist at all. She pushed herself forward, until she was within the safety of the four corners of her own room.

A deep breath and a shake of the head, she walked towards one of her drawers. She slid the folder in and secured it with a lock. That should do it. She could do the reading later when all her assignments are finished. Besides, with the Director back at the branch, there are a few more other things she should put her focus on.

" _Sestra,_ is it true that Utsugi rejected your leave of absence?" Alisa asked, outraged, as soon as she saw her clamber down the elevator to join them in the lounge. "That's very rude of him! I think you deserve that leave."

She chuckled in response and pulled her back to her seat. "He has a point though," she answered, taking a single chip from the plate on the table. "Self-isolation wouldn't be very good for me. It would just stress me out more than help me. It's kind of him to say that, but he being straightforward is equally savage too."

That was the conversation Soma caught up to when he arrived at the lounge, and for some reason, it made his ears burn.

"Oh, Lenka!"

He hissed.

"I haven't thanked you for the other day!" Yuka smiled. "It really helped and I had fun too." Her words ended in a wide, toothed grin, and Alisa looked back and forth from the blonde senior to their unit captain.

The younger male made a small smile. "I'm glad you're feeling a whole lot better." To their confusion, he didn't sit in with them, and instead headed for Hibari.

Soma saw how her smile faded in an instant before she whispered a word or two to the Russian female. Alisa shook her head. He knew pretty much where she planned to go next, and Soma grabbed her in the arm before she could do anything. "He was given orders," he told her. "Don't treat him like a child you have to look after 24/7." In return, the blonde frowned. She had been expecting this. Even before the Director left, she knew he would do something like this.

Sakuya, Kota and—well, isn’t it a delight?—C walked into the lobby a while later, and sat in with them, but not before the pale girl had hollered "Love triangle!" in their faces, garnering the attention of nearly everyone in the spacious room. Lenka, who was discussing matters with Hibari, flinched. Yuka freed her arm from Soma's grasp and returned to her seat by Alisa's side. This time, she took a can of soda from the many they have. "Why are you in such a bad mood, Flower? I thought the date with your dear captain in the roof deck went well?"

"You had a date?!" Alisa gasped.

"We have a roof deck?" Kota asked.

"How come things like these are happening and we don't know about it?" Sakuya smirked.

"So that's what you were talking about with Utsugi a while ago," their Russian then said with a sigh of relief. "I thought it was something scandalous."

Yuka rolled her eyes rather than pouring oil into C's fire. "It wasn't a date."

"Look at him seething with jealousy!" C whooped, one hand pointing at a certain dark-skinned God Eater's direction while the other pressed against her stomach as she belted out a laugh. There was no trying to hide the other's intense glares. He was obviously ten seconds away from pummeling the information broker to silence. She then stuck herself under the arm of the blonde. "Do you still need any proof of how territorial wolves can get?" She was easily shrugged off with a 'pft'.

As she was saying, there are much more important things that need her attention more than C's teasing. Surely, sooner of later, that man will have her running errands for him too and most of them wouldn't exactly be pleasing. She is pretty much a cat out of the bag anyway, so playing dumb will no longer do her any benefit.

Kota's sight flicked upwards. "Lenka! Did you just come back?" At the sudden raise of the question, the entire teasing easily died out. Sakuya and Alisa followed Kota's gaze in question. "You didn't really tell us anything. We could have come with you."

The raven-haired leader waved a hand in dismissal of the topic. "It's fine." For him to just do these without the knowledge of everyone else, then Dr. Sakaki was not mistaken, it really was a special mission.

"All God Eaters and engineering personnel are required to proceed to Hall 3 and meet Major Amamiya in 300 seconds."

The announcement stirred the entire branch to rapid movement. Even the people downstairs made immediate action, whispering to each other regarding the sudden order from their advisor. Sakuya started arranging the snacks and drinks they had. Truly, this is quite a surprise. They hadn't had this kind of meeting since... since Lindow died. But considering the Director had come back from Europe, maybe it is just him wanting his plans put into action. "Lenka, do you know anything about this?" Their vice captain asked, a bit confused herself, but the younger only shook his head.

Yuka turned to C, "Do you?"

"Who knows?"

"Let's get moving."

* * *

As usual, Major Tsubaki Amamiya was direct to the point. "I'd expect all of you to be knowledgeable of the Director's return, and with that, he wishes we proceed with a certain task we had postponed." Behind her, the monitor flashed a basic map of the area the Far East covers. There were five markers on the map, each on considerable distances from the other and labeled with the first five letters of the alphabet. "The Meteorite Operation."

The crowd listened attentively.

"We had to temporarily stop this operation after a certain incident none has expected." Namely, Lindow Amamiya's death. "But now, we are back on track. Once again, five units shall deploy these guiding devices on the indicated places." She gestured at the digital map behind her. "The units and its members will be as it was during the first trial, and tomorrow, we shall proceed with mounting the guiding devices. I'm giving all of you three days to prepare for the operation's relaunch. I would not be accepting slip-ups and mistakes." And as usual, she is as uptight as ever. "That is all for the briefing. The Retaliation Team will remain; the rest of you may go."

Oh no.

Did they do something wrong?

Are they going to be reassigned?

Perhaps the Major has learned of Shio and now they are all in big trouble?

The people dispersed rather slowly, whispering and muttering amongst themselves. The map disappeared from the large screen and was replaced by a crimson Fenrir logo on a white background. "I suppose you don't know about this either?" Yuka softly whispered over to Lenka at her side.

"No," he answered. "Do you?"

"Will I be asking if I do?"

The doors went shut and they all straightened from their seats. She locked gazes with each of them, her expression not too uptight but not too friendly either. "In regards to your next assignment, we have..." Even her tone had dropped to a much calmer one in comparison to earlier. "... received a very important intel."

 _Please don't let this be about Shio,_ she chanted inside her head repeatedly, while keeping a composed stature before their superior. _She said intel, didn't she? She said intel!_ When the woman's eyes landed on her very figure, she almost squeaked and jumped on the person on her right—except the person on her right was Soma so she immediately held herself in place before she did anything ridiculous.

"We can't confirm it," Tsubaki continued, "but we believe former leader Lindow's armlet has been emitting signals."

There was a collective gasp that rang within the room, and Yuka could almost hear everybody's heartbeat.

Signals... from Lindow's armlet.

Could he be alive after all?

She didn't want to put too much hope in it.

"Utsugi!" The lad in question immediately rose from his seat, posture straight and gaze firm. "If anyone—" She was pretty certain the Major's eyes are now on her. "—attempts anything irrational during combat, your job is to stop them. Understood?"

Lenka nodded in response, a solid "Yes, ma'am!" escaping his lips. Once he was seated, Major Amamiya resumed briefing. "Your mission for today is to eliminate two Vajras in the temple ruins. One of them is a Prithvi Mata. We've never encountered Prithvi Mata before, but we've been getting more sighting reports lately."

Alisa raised a brow. "I thought _sestra_ engaged one in combat before?"

Hearing that, the blonde's smile turned sheepish as she shied away from the attention. "I didn't exactly—" Her fingers drew quotation marks in the air, "—engaged one in combat." All eyes then stared at her in utter confusion. "By the time I arrived on my assigned location, the Prithvi Mata had started feeding on the Chi-You, which was supposed to be my target. The Mata looked weakened and alone so I—" She shrugged, "—pounced on it."

"You said your target was an Ouroboros," Soma snorted.

"Fooled you, didn't I?"

"Worried him, more likely." Sakuya rolled her eyes.

Tsubaki coughed into her hand and brought all their attention back to her. "Try not to anger this Aragami. If enraged, I hear its defensive powers increase sharply. Localized destruction is a more effective strategy. The destroyed parts don't seem to harden." The screen behind her flashed an image of the said Aragami, highlighting the assumed weak parts. "Destroying this Aragami will be, for everyone..." Her green eyes were once again shrouded in gloom. "... a way to overcome Lindow's death. That... That will be all. I'm counting on all of you."

Their superior was on her computer when they were about to make preparations. She appeared to be having a conversation through the device, and as soon as she was finished, she turned towards them, "Soma."

He hissed.

"The Director wants you to come see him right away."

"Bloody hell," the male grumbled, slipping both hands into the pockets of his coat before leaving the room ahead of everybody else.

Meanwhile, Sakuya was silent during the course of their preparation. "Can you believe it?" Kota asked as he stuffed stun grenades to his pants' pockets. "A signal from Lindow's armlet... This is our chance to recover it! His God Arc too!"

"Don't get your hopes up," Alisa scoffed at him, despite the fact that her eyes were saying otherwise. "It doesn't appear as though the major is sure of it." Her attention shifted towards their vice captain and her lips pursed to a straight line. " _Sestra_ , your fight against the Prithvi Mata, how did it go?"

Yuka locked a couple of pills into a transparent case. "Honestly? Tough, considering I didn't know what to expect from it. That was a weakened Aragami to boot. This one... it may turn out to be a grueling fight."

"We should advance with caution," Lenka finally told them. "If we let our emotions get to us, we're risking our only chance of defeating it."

"Alisa." The Russian perked up at the sound her name, her gaze meeting the pouting face of her blonde senior. "Please tell me Lenka-kun isn't directing those words to me."

She rolled her eyes. "Lenka-kun isn't directing those words to you, _sestra_." The four of them shared a small round of laughter before Alisa turned towards their sniper. "Are you ready to go, Sakuya?"

"Ready as I'll ever be. Let's move."

* * *

"Captain, we have a few visitors joining the fray." Yuka sure was glad this Aragami vision, as she learned to call it, isn't getting in the way of her actual vision. It was like those fictional heroes from the movies she found in the NORN.

Lenka was in the midst of re-briefing the team when he received the news. "Is it possible to tell what they are? And where our actual targets are?"

"Looks like a Zygote and an Ogretail to me," the blonde replied. "We have the Vajra too, but the Prithvi Mata isn't within my radar."

"Yuka could tell where they are? Cool!" Kota whooped, grinning. "I wish I could do that too!"

In return, the female smiled sheepishly. "Only if you can pay the price, but if I were you, I'd rather not." She whipped her head once more to the environment, but all she saw now were the wooden walls of the ruined temple cluster.

"We'll concentrate on ridding the place of the Vajra first," Lenka then said, gaining everyone's ears. "Eliminate the smaller Aragamis as quickly as you can so they won't get in the way of combat with the Vajra. If we could kill it before the Prithvi Mata comes into view, that would be better. We all fought a Vajra before, didn't we?" He lifted his gaze to each of them, and they nodded in response. "Then we'll do what we do and destroy it."

It mostly is on this kind of a thing that their spirits and goals are undivided—dramatic to think of such but that’s the truth. At this point, the prospect of finally avenging a lost comrade had riled them up more than anything else. "Take extra caution once we're dealing with the Prithvi Mata. We'll concentrate on unbinding its weak parts, just as what the Major had told us. Keep a sharp eye on its movements. Lastly..." His gaze made another round at them and he sighed. "... Let's not be rash with our actions. We _will_ take down this beast. For Lindow."

"For Lindow," they agreed.

Sakuya's first shot landed straight towards the Zygote's eye. It let out a loud pained cry, alerting the other Aragamis within vicinity. They waited in silence, but they only heard fading footsteps afterwards. The sniper took another careful aim before sending another shot to the recovering Aragami. It was followed by another confident shot, and another. It took a few more shots before they were finally spotted, the enemy screeching as it careened towards their direction.

The God Eaters scrambled away from the huddle and rapidly barraged the Freeze-type beast. A crushing blow sent it barreling to the ground, pulsing for life, before a predator finally finished it off. "Yuka-san." Lenka whipped his head to his senior. "Can you kill that Ogretail in a single Charge Crush?"

Yuka rolled her eyes, as if the task he was giving her was no big thing. Well, it wasn't really. The Ogretail can be killed in a single attack. "Make that Vajra face my way and I'll crack its faceplate too."

"Can you?" Sakuya asked with a smirk.

"Okay, maybe when I'm _really_ angry." She pulled her buster blade back, before sending an enormous wave of energy straight towards the unaware Aragamis. The smaller one crashed against the larger, not even allowed to let a pained growl before it was reduced to nothing but ripped carcass. At least now, there's only one problem to deal with. She greeted the enraged Vajra with a smug grin. "Here, kitty, kitty." It came thundering towards her in big leaps, and just as it was to release a ball of electricity towards her direction, Yuka released another Charge Crush, leaving a noticeable crack on its mask.

The vice captain appeared pleased. "You did damage it in a single blow."

As the Vajra was recovering from the blow, Alisa and Lenka made a run for its back, switching in attacking the tail. The Aragami immediately noticed the two and turned to assault, but Yuka struck its hind legs—weak point or not weak point. It wailed in pain, staggering backwards.

Finding itself on a disadvantage, the Vajra made a backward leap in an attempt to escape, firing them three consecutive orbs of electricity. They scampered away from their current positions to avoid the attack. A thunderous roar rode the chill winds just before the sounds of bullets fired rang through the place. In retaliation, it summoned a spherical field of lightning at the gunners' feet, who bolted away from the area of effect before they could get trapped in.

Pain erupted from its front leg, their God Eater in red just seconds past in calling her weapon's predator back. This time, the Vajra made a turn and swiped in hopes of getting the other assailant attacking its tail, but what met its claws was a sturdy shield. A salvo momentarily drove its attention from all of them but it was quick to recover.

"Everyone, on guard!"

It was barely a second after their leader's voice rang out when another lightning field sprang from the Vajra's feet. Alisa, Lenka and Yuka were repeatedly pushed back as lightning repeatedly struck their shields before the field disappeared. The Vajra took their moment of recovery to make a quick run, blasting their gunners with lightning orbs before it did. "Let's let it run for a bit," Lenka said, hand on his head. He was using his God Arc as some kind of support to keep himself upright. Though, it didn't slip the blonde's eyes that its glow was a little bit hotter of an orange than usual. "Yuka-san..." Her ears perked up. "Can you strike it with another Charge Crush? Sakuya, Kota, do you still have more of those high piercing bullets?"

"Yeah," they answered.

"That's great. Shoot the head and let it pierce the torso and hind legs too."

"Alisa, we'll keep our focus on the front legs this time and try to force it down." He whipped his head over to his blonde senior afterwards. "I'll try to use Impulse Edge on the head, if it helps."

"That's great," she smiled.

"We have to finish the Vajra as soon as possible." And so, they moved.

The Charge Crush surely is getting more and more powerful, and she might as well believe it's the effects of IRIS on her. If she had this much power back when she was a child, then maybe she would have been in the same level of strength as Soma even without that stupid project. Maybe her father didn't have to get killed and she and Soma could have been God Eaters together. She could have stayed on his side for the past six years and actually have a worth in his life.

 _At the end of the day..._ A voice within her spoke. _It is always him._

She cursed.

Another strike at the Aragami's front leg elicited a loud growl as it collapsed to the ground. "Yuka-san, another one!" Lenka called out, his blade up and his gun blasting the head with bomb bullets.

 _Can't you really... stop thinking of him... even only for once?_ The voice spoke again in that rather emotionless tone.

Everything had only been a distraction—maintaining Lenka's God Arc, filling her schedule with so much work, finally dealing with IRIS, helping the doctor in matters with Shio. Useless distractions, that's what they are. Because, that voice is right, at the end of the day, she always wants to come running back to him.

It's a habit she found pretty hard to stop, even with their current situation.

And now, she has to keep returning to this stupid place. She has to see this damn place again and again, almost like she's made to relive a nightmare. _How pitiful..._

This stupid fucking place and its stupid fucking Aragamis and these stupid fucking emotions!

All of them nearly got caught in the upsurge of the Charge Crush—maybe even calling it one would be an understatement. All of the Vajra, not just the head now, was devoured by that powerful wave of energy, sending it crashing against one of the abandoned temples. The structure and its rotting foundation crumbled at the force. The Aragami was almost ripped to pieces, and Yuka was a panting mess.

It might have been a better idea to save that one for the Prithvi Mata.

Not like she cared.

"... Yuka-san?"

She's tired; tired of feeling like this— this— this crap. She has given her all and now there's nothing left of her. She couldn't even recognize what emotions are filling the eyes of her teammates. "Let us..." Her voice was in sync with the one inside her head. "... finish this quickly."

" _Sestra,_ are you alright?"

She forced her lips to a smile directed towards the Russian, before her eyes landed on the decaying Vajra corpse. "The Mata certainly will come for that one," she told them. "It would be a better idea to lie in waiting for an ambush." They divided into two groups, and Lenka was the one who willingly wanted to be stuck with her. "Its attacks are almost similar to a normal Vajra," she began, "only they are of ice. It fires sharp icicles and conjures thorns of ice from the ground. At least that is what I have observed."

"Then we would just have to fight it like we did the Vajra. I am just... worried about the others. About Sakuya and Alisa. After all, it was during a Prithvi Mata attack that we lost Lindow."

Yuka craned her neck to the direction of the other group. The three of them had huddled into a small circle, discussing among themselves. Sakuya handed over a few bullets to Kota and the male looked up at their Russian with a grin. "They're holding up pretty well, as far as I can see."

"Yuka-san, are you... sure you're alrig—"

"Shh." He felt her index finger against his lips and his mouth immediately went shut. "I could hear it."

He peered from behind their hiding place, but saw nothing.

"It's coming. Get back in here. It might see you." The snow-filled ground rattled as the huge Aragami made a landing. It scanned the environment for the next passing seconds and, finding nothing, proceeded to approach the decaying corpse of the Vajra they had slain. "I'll get into position," she then offered, the Mata's roar shaking the entirety of the place.

She needed to hit it straight in the head—the only part buster blades are effective against. _For Lindow..._ The wave of attack caught it in a surprise that it was unable to stay on its feet, crashing to the ground with a pained howl. The others ran out of their hiding places just as the Aragami had returned to its feet. Her smug grin returned. "Long time no see, I guess."

The Prithvi Mata growled in rage, but its unbound head only made her grin grow. "Wow!" Kota exclaimed. "You unbound the head with a Charge Crush?!"

"No," she answered. "I did that one with my fist... back at the old city."

They scattered and surrounded the Aragami, all on their guns, holding it back with a barrage of bullets. Yuka leafed through her options and fired, a blast of colorful lights erupting at the Aragami's feet. While the others kept it in place, she fired another one, and another.

This time, the Aragami found an opportunity to retaliate, blasting them off their feet as it conjured huge thorns of ice on the ground all around it. They were sent flying to all directions, tumbling and crashing. Yuka landed on a messy pile of brittle wood planks, the material cracking and breaking under her weight. The Prithvi Mata roared once more and leaped forward. They had barely managed to rise as the ground shook once more, sweeping them off their feet as ice thorns once more dominated the area. "Disperse, everyone!" Their captain yelled, pulling a dazed Alisa back to her feet. Kota grabbed Sakuya and they made a run for the opposite direction. "Yuka-san!"

The female God Eater was too occupied to bother, the flat of her shield meeting the Icy Queen's claws. When it struck again, she rolled to her side in evasion. A blinding flash suddenly came and the Aragami staggered backwards in surprise. Yuka found it as an opportunity to grab her God Arc and strike its hind legs, ridding the huge beast of its balance.

They have to destroy this Aragami no matter what.

It got back up rather quickly, prompting the blonde to bolt out of its attack range. By the time all of them brought their attention back to the enraged Prithvi Mata, it had summoned sharp ice spears around it in a semi-circle, letting out a deafening roar before it fired. The spears clashed against their shields.

" _Sestra_! Keep it distracted!" Alisa yelled. "We'll strike the legs and tail!" It isn't a very difficult job, seeing that the Aragami's rage appeared to be directed at her. Perhaps it can remember the time she broke off its face? A piercing bullet landed on the Mata's head, penetrating through and even hitting its hind legs. Kota gave her a thumbs up and a toothed grin.

Alisa had just slid underneath the large Aragami, firing a single shot as she did so before rising back up and making a quick slash at the tail. Lenka was a busy man himself, landing continuous attacks on the front legs and evading quick swipes from the Prithvi Mata. When it once again summoned those sharp icicles from the ground, the two melee users were forced to fall back. Another roar shook the area. "Lenka! Alisa! Get out of there!" Sakuya cried out as the Aragami prepared to pounce on the two fallen God Eaters.

"Can't... move..." A weak, yet struggling voice resonated within their commlink devices.

The Prithvi Mata made it before them in a single leap, its right paw raised. Lenka gathered all of his strength and pulled Alisa close, keeping the Russian safe and protected underneath him, his God Arc gripped tight by his free hand.

Well, dying in the battlefield sounded better than being devoured by the Oracle Cells within him.

Still, fighting against death was a much better option than the two.

He isn't going to go down in the hands of some Aragami.

His team relies on him.

The people living in the Far East Branch.

The survivors rejected by Fenrir.

He will rid the world of Aragamis.

He will destroy them all.

That's why...

The Prithvi Mata stumbled off its feet, the Charge Crush leaving a deeply cracked path in its wake. Lenka felt Sakuya's arm on his back. Kota hauled Alisa up and placed her arm over his shoulders. "So it still can inflict stun, even with Freeze elemental attacks," the sniper whispered, most likely to herself. "Probably just when enraged." The two then gently propped down the younger God Eaters on a safe distance from the rampaging tigress. "I'm not sure how long does the effect last. Yuka, can you be on guard for a while?"

"Y-Yeah, sure," the blonde replied, though barely able to keep herself upright after deflecting a barrage of ice spears. "Kota, the high-piercing bullets—" Another ice spear deflected off her shield. "—they make the Mata stagger. Could you—"

"On it!" He immediately sprang up to his feet and took his God Arc. A single bullet flew from the nozzle of his Mousy Blow and straight towards the Prithvi Mata, effectively cutting off another attack.

They would have to keep cover until the two recover, which should be in a few short minutes.

Another shot struck it on the head.

"Yuka-san, it's running away!"

The Prithvi Mata was forced to the ground once more with another Charge Crush.

Yuka pierced the ground with her blade, holding onto her God Arc for support. She was at the verge of collapsing, barely able to catch her breath. "Bloody hell," she panted. "Why does it cost an awful lot of stamina?" The Aragami was rising back up but her legs were already giving up. They have been fighting for quite a while now. Kota at her side was complaining of how he has little reserve now. "We can't let it recover," she then told the redhead. But they needed room to breathe.

Yuka forced herself upright. "Lenka... You didn't happen to bring Bias ampules with you, did you?" Kota cocked his head in confusion, while Sakuya looked like a mother ready to scold her child.

Lenka's legs were still shaking as he tried to get on his feet. "N-No... Why?" He downed a few health pills Sakuya handed over.

The blonde didn't answer and just frowned, before assisting their Russian God Eater in standing up. "Let's finish this once and for all. Running away like that means it's getting weaker."

Despite the growing pain in her legs, she moved along with them. The Prithvi Mata had been enough of an ass to them.

Their captain was the first to distract the feeding Aragami, his predator ripping a huge portion of the enemy's flesh.

Rains of bullets followed suit, preventing it from advancing anywhere near them. It started to blindly fire spears of ice at them, one after another, making an attempt to match the ammunition it was receiving. When they had forced it down to the ground once again, it was no longer fit to rise once more.

It was then that Yuka poured the last of her strength into that final Charge Crush. "Fucking finally," she then panted, collapsing flat on the cold, snowed ground. "Give this woman a break. You guys do your thing."

They smiled helplessly as they let her be, and proceeded to examine the deceased Aragami.

"Sure took long," Kota sighed. "Man, this one is a handful! I'm definitely going to relax real good once we get home."

"I think I'm going to get a good meal," Alisa said, watching as the predator of Lenka's God Arc harvested a bright glowing. It materialized quickly once more, and returned to ravage the motionless vessel. "Sakuya's _flan_ sounds wonderful at the moment."

The vice captain chuckled. "I think I still have ingredients enough to make for the entire team."

"How about you, Lenka?" Kota turned to the direction of their leader. "What do you plan to do when we get back?"

The raven-haired God Eater stared at all of them before he answered, gaze flickering back at the Aragami's corpse. "I'll have to check with Licca the current conditions of this God Arc. She's been telling me that I should be more careful because the stability rate is beginning to drop." When he noticed how his plans wiped away the former joy within the faces of his members, he quickly added, "... And maybe have a piece of that _flan_ too."

They shared a few more exchanges, and after a while, Yuka joined them, causing the conversation to suddenly shift to her 'date' with Lenka at the roof deck (Kota still couldn't believe they have a roof deck—) as the topic. Apparently, none of them found the two as believable, considering C spilled the news and had been so kind enough to word it as a date. "Now that we're in this topic," Alisa then said, gaze shifting between the two, "Utsugi sure gives much more attention to _sestra_ , no? I mean, during the course of this mission..." Her blue eyes glanced at her captain, who was pretending that watching his own predator was a far more interesting thing. "... you called out to her pretty often."

Sakuya decided it was a good idea to involve herself in the conversation. "I noticed that too. The two of you sure have gotten close over time."

"Hang on a sec." Their redhead blinked. "Lenka, weren't you saying a few days ago that it isn't bad to have a crush?"

"Was he now?" Alisa and Sakuya shared mirroring smirks.

"Oh." At this point, Yuka knew she has to steer the conversation away to a different direction. "... Since we're on the what-I-notice game, I've noticed Kota-kun has been looking after Alisa a whole lot more lately." The sound of said gunner's laughter died out in an instant. "When she was pre-occupied with her bullets, and the Vajra was going to pounce on her, you fired at it to get it away from her, didn't you?" She made a quick glance at their male New-Type, and he looked absolutely grateful for the save.

"Th-That's..."

"A-Anyway!" Alisa immediately cut off, her hat pulled unusually low. She turned to Lenka with that regal and proud gaze of hers. "How is it going?" And they were all jerked back to the job at hand.

He retracted the predator, but got nothing. No armlet. No God Arc.

Not a single sign of Lindow.

"These days, the Research Unit is so irresponsible," Alisa then huffed.

Kota tried to soothe the Russian's irritation in his words. "Hey... Maybe it ran off before we got here."

This is why they shouldn't have placed so much hope in this assignment. There had been a lot of Prithvi Mata sightings lately, and there's no way to know which among the many had what they are looking for. "We'd strike down every Prithvi Mata if that's the only way to find it," Lenka told them, his gaze firm and stern.

"Shh."

" _Sestra_?"

"I hear footsteps." The blonde craned her neck towards the source of the sound, and everybody did so, as the footsteps became audible to all of them. They left the Prithvi Mata corpse and rushed forward, meeting the flat surface of a steep wall. "Up there."

A creature of darkness emerged, peering down at the God Eaters below. Its red eyes screamed danger, but they stood there defiantly. "That's...!" Alisa gasped, eyes wide. A low growl resonated from the beast, and the Russian female's grip on her God Arc tightened. "... Dyaus Pita."

"Ah, so you are the Dyaus Pita..." Yuka smirked, just as the Pita's gaze lowered on her figure. "You would... make a pretty God Arc."

Whether that mocking laugh meant it understood her, they'd never be able to tell as it gave them a final gaze and turned away, slowly disappearing from their line of sight.

"It wouldn't be a very easy task, Yuka," Sakuya said. "But sooner or later, we're going to have to kill it. And we will! Just you wait!"

* * *

_"But to restart this godforsaken world, you should know, that it would require the Singularity."_

_"You wanted to create an artificial one, as there is no assurance if a being such as the Singularity exists."_

_"I found a handful more similarities in structure and activity apart from the cranial nerves and synapses. If that isn't enough for you to pick up where I'm headed, your last month's results clearly indicated an accumulation of Oracle Cells in the chest area, and judging from the data, their activities continue."_

_"Do you know whose results I've been comparing yours to?"_

_"Well, if you do hand it over to him, that'd solve your problem. What's the point of using a fake one when you have the genuine one anyway? Can you really though? I mean, like hell_ he'd _let you. You're not that desperate to completely break Moon boy’s trust, are you?"_

 _"It's just an Aragami,"_ she remembered telling C. The words didn't make sense to her back then, but now that she's staring at the medical records with eyes misty with tears...

It had been clear to her since six years ago that IRIS aims to create an Artificial Singularity—her. If the project really is on its right way and is nearing its completion, then the similarities Dr. Sakaki had mentioned to her before could only mean one thing—the results she's been comparing hers with are from the Singularity. There are very little differences, but Yuka would rather put it as hers still being in development.

Dr. Sakaki had been comparing her results with the Singularity's.

With Shio's.

C is right.

She can't.

Soma wouldn't let him do it.

Hell, she wouldn't let herself do it.

She isn't that desperate.

She doesn't want to break Soma's trust.

She can't hand Shio over to him. She can't let him know about her. She can't let Soma lose Shio.

... She can't hurt him like that. She'd rather die than take something that matters so much to him. _"What's the point of using a fake one when you have the genuine one anyway?"_

Not if he doesn't know the genuine one exists.


	46. Sorry...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Who are you to decide for me?!" The male God Eater snarled. "How did you know what I'll choose?!"
> 
> "If you find out who the other person is—"
> 
> "Tell me!" Yuka felt his chest press against the flat of her back, his chin now on her shoulder. He held her tightly in his arms. "Is it Alisa? Lenka? Kota? Sakuya? Sakaki? Heck, Yuka, I would still pick you over them! I would still choose you over all of them combined! So why...?"

"Sorry..." The blonde sighed in apology, seeing him walk into the maintenance room, his eyes nowhere but on his God Arc. Lenka really isn't sure why she's apologizing for something none of them can help. "I know it's a bad time, with the relaunch of Meteorite and all, but do you see that blinding bright orange glow?" She cocked her head at the direction of the weapon's core. "That's a bad sign."

He wouldn't deny it was feeling a little odd already during the battle against the Prithvi Mata.

"Licca suggested we salvage whatever parts we still could get from this one—I highly doubt there's any—and I checked with the doctor the current progress of the God Arc he has designed for you," she was saying as she fiddled with the terminal, eyes locked on the screen. "Apparently, it still is a work in progress; with how complicated he planned it to be, and his own valuable research sharing the plate right now."

"It's okay," he managed. He somehow did fine without a complete God Arc during the first Meteorite Operation. It shouldn't be that hard to do it again, right? They are only setting up the guiding devices today anyway. "Aren't you a part of the preparation, Yuka-san?"

She looked up from the terminal. "Oh, me? I told the Major I'm ditching it." Green eyes stared at her in surprise and confusion. "I have this to take care of." She gestured at his God Arc. "... And I kind of want to be away from Kota and Alisa for a bit. They've been restless with their questions."

"I'm sorry..." He then said, averting his gaze. Yuka furrowed her eyebrows in question. "This... This whole _thing_ between us... is being an inconvenience to you."

She gawked at him for a few good seconds before bursting into laughter. "What are you talking about?" She asked, flicking his forehead with her index finger. "I told you it is normal, didn't I? There's nothing to be sorry about." She returned her attention back to the terminal. If there's anybody that should be sorry for this whole... 'thing', it is her, isn't it? "Now, get that idea out of your head and run along. Major Amamiya wouldn't appreciate you being late on duty, Captain."

There were the faint sounds of her chuckling as the door closed behind him and he bolted across the halls.

He didn't know what it is called when feeling both disappointment and relief at the same time, but that was what existed in his chest when he was told the Major couldn't meet them before their departure. He asked his team why, but the only reply he received was Soma snorting "Whatever it is should be pretty fucking important," as he climbed aboard the helicopter. The engineers with them had secured the guiding device prior, and they were set to go.

Lenka figured making an attempt to start a conversation with Soma was not a good idea considering the presence of other people, but he also figured that if he would let this opportunity pass, it might never come up again. "Soma-san—"

"Drop the formalities," he scowled.

Their company stared at him, absolutely horrified as if he had just asked for a death sentence.

"—are you still in an argument with Yuka-san?"

"Bitch is the one making things up and getting angry over them," he scoffed, glaring up at him. Well, that technically is a yes. Maybe starting a conversation like this really is not a good idea, but he had seen them quarrel many times in the past, and most of those did not really give them any good. The two were in an argument when Yuka just ran off and killed an Aether. They were in a terrible argument too when she decided to vent out her anger and destroyed two Sariels by herself. The air also was pretty strained between them before the thorn incident; so maybe, they were in some kind of falling out during that time as well. The last one even brought his blonde senior to a self-induced coma.

The memory made him flinch, and he hit his head against the chair he had secured himself on. The hiss that slipped past his lips was easily drowned out by the noise of the vehicle's engine. "What were you daydreaming about all of a sudden?" He heard Soma ask, but there was neither curiosity nor concern present in his voice.

He can't tell, or rather, he wouldn't dare tell. He had been testing the waters of Soma's protectiveness, and further wading into might just end up with him killed.

A little while later, they arrived at the desired location, and it had not a single trace of the devices they once left behind there. It must have been ravaged by a number of Aragamis, considering even the ground was swept clean. "Hopefully, this goes a lot smoother than the last," one of the engineers mumbled as they began set up. The others nodded in agreement, but Lenka can't really assure them of anything.

He stuck the final pole on the machine and the latter locked it in place. A few seconds of waiting and the guiding device at the center was surrounded by a protective wall, meant to repel Aragamis attracted to it. The two God Eaters kept watch as the engineers secured the valuable device, doing a few checks to make sure it is working at its best. Sometime during that, Lenka brought his attention towards Soma at his side, "You should talk to her, at least."

The other male grumbled under his breath, "You think I didn't hear all of it?"

Lenka would have inquired more if their company had not told them the guiding device was working well. "Let's wrap this up and head back then."

Soma boarded the helicopter last, waiting for something—anything to come up. The small Aragamis straggling the area was no problem at all; the monsters whispering inside his head were. If there was anything that could have made it worse, it was that he was hearing it in the Devil's voice.

But he isn't the one to fix this. He isn't the one at fault. It was her whose mood suddenly dropped without even telling them what happened. He hadn't done anything. She's the one with the problem. _"So that's how it is for you, humans, huh?"_ The bastard's words played back in his head in an accurate tone and voice. _"When you find something new, you just easily trash the old one. That's exactly why she's drifting farther and farther from you, Moon kin. Sooner or later, you'll find it's no longer your hand she's holding."_

And whose hand will she be holding then? "Soma-san, are you alright?" This kid's?

He snorted, not in response to the question of his captain, but to the one inside his head, before he climbed back to the helicopter.

One thing to be thankful for was that his captain had ceased in cornering him with questions, and instead found entertainment in small conversations with their company.

_"If he wouldn't, then I'll be the one to do it. I'll catch you, even if it wasn't for me that you fell."_

Soma didn't understand the burning sensation present in his stomach. He isn't angry. He just... He just doesn't like those words playing in his head again and again. They make him upset. They make him uneasy.

He couldn't believe he feels threatened by mere two sentences.

Then he decided that it all was in his head—that this isn't like him to act or think like this.

When they arrived back to the branch, they caught the rest of the team enjoying a break over a few cans of soda. "You two sure are back earlier than expected," Sakuya noted as they stepped in to the lobby. When Lenka took the empty seat beside Yuka, he saw how Sakuya, Alisa and Kota exchanged meaningful grins, though he paid them no attention and instead settled with the decision to sit by himself in his room.

Soma was almost to the section elevator when he heard, "Yuka-san, don't you think... you should talk to Soma-san?"

"Lenka!" The female faked a hurt and disappointed expression as she dramatically pressed a hand over her chest. "Why are you making me do things I don't want to? I thought you love me!"

"I do, but—"

There was a collective gasp that rang from the group, and they stopped to silence. Soma growled at the doors of the elevator because _bloody doors are taking too fucking long to open._ He wanted to get out earshot as quick as he fucking can before _well shit._

C bolted out of the door from the other side of the room, pushing away people in her way, be it a God Eater or a staff. She took the stairs in two steps—sometimes three which was a surprise considering her short legs, and stood before the still perturbed First Unit. "Okay!" The team appeared to have recovered from C's voice, and Lenka quickly took the opportunity to dart his gaze away from the surprised female to the pale annoyance now in front of them. "I'm the wedding planner! Sakuya's the Maid of Honor..."

"That's wonderful. ~" The sniper smiled.

"... Alisa is the bridesmaid!"

"Lovely," the Russian giggled behind her hand.

"Kota is the Best Man!"

"Alright!"

"And Moon kin—" Soma hissed at the annoying nickname. "—your role would be to shout 'I object!' when Stargaze starts the 'If anybody objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace' crap. How's that?" He didn't answer, and simply shut the eruption of laughter from his ears as the elevator finally closed behind him and ascended.

_"Dad, what are you talking about? I'm not going to be a God Eater when I grow up! I'm going to be Soma's bride!"_

Sometimes, he hates having a little too good of a memory.

He had barely lied down on his bed, arm over his eyes and not bothering to slip out of anything, when the Devil's voice registered in his ears, chuckling darkly like the demon she is. "Now, Kismet, it isn't like your existence is on the line." He didn't know the bastard was insane enough to start speaking to herself. "Is it my fault that _they_ are like this?" C then snorted, before she went silent, and Soma figured she might be with someone on a phone or a commlink device. Who the heck is this Kismet now? Her new toy?

 _What the hell is that bastard up to now?_ The dark-skinned male growled to himself just as C's voice came up once more. "Look, I will say it again. Humans are self-destructive insane creatures. It isn't my fault Sunshine is going to die at this rate, is it?"

The last words she left struck him hard, as it did the stranger on the other end of the line. He could have sworn there were the faint and muffled screams of a female voice. Who is this person and why does she care a lot if Yuka dies—which would never happen? "Look, I never said I am alright with this. But if it happens, then I'll just go accept my losses," the teal-haired girl snorted. "Besides, you know I have warned both Soma and Yuka, don't you? From that point on, everything that happens to them is purely because of the decisions they made. It isn't my responsibility anymore."

Soma was gritting his teeth, hands balled to fists. A part of him wanted to rush out, find that piece of shit, pummel her to a paste and make her spit out the answers to his questions, but another part of him wanted to wait and just keep on listening. "Kismet, calm down. Nothing is lost yet, right?" C sounded like she was trying to raise the other's hopes. "Sure, the cat is almost out of the bag with them, but hey, who knows? Maybe Lotus boy will actually get through her. They are getting better as time passes, no?"

He was beginning to consider the first option.

"Him being younger isn't an issue, right? It's just a two or three-year difference. Sunshine looks pretty younger than her age too, if you ask me. Surely, people who don’t know them personally wouldn't even be able to tell."

_Fucking bastard. I'm going to fucking kill you. I'd rip your throat out with my bare hands. I'll destroy you to your very core._

"Not the same?" C spoke again. "Then why don't you, I don't know, come and fix the goddamn problem in the first place? You could do that, right? So why don't you? That is a whole lot better than making me the one to run all over the place for you." She sighed, "Kismet, if Moon kin does not realize what he is doing, it's going to be your problem." What...? What does he have to do with this other person now? Why would he be a problem? Soma doesn't even know a tiny speck about that person! "I'm not insensitive, I told you. Those are facts. After all, losing an unborn child is a crappy way to go... Right? Either way, I don't think Moon kin would bother giving a single fuck. Heck, Yuka could die right before his eyes and I doubt Soma would even do anything other than stare and walk away."

At this point, Soma bolted upwards, tears of anger threatening to come running down his cheeks. He thundered across the hallways, spotting the subject of his hatred sitting cross legs on one of the lounge chairs. There was no hesitation when he clamped his hand around the bastard's neck, pinning her against the wall. "Oh, were you there all along? I'm afraid I didn't know," she snickered. "I hope I didn't strike a nerve or—" She didn't even had the chance to stop the fist that landed on her face, burying her head deeper against the wall. "—or two." She then laughed.

He grabbed for the commlink device hooked on the pale girl's ear, earning a 'Hey!', before he placed it on his ear. "Who the hell are you and what the fuck do you want with Yuka?!" He couldn't be any more certain that he heard a small squeak.

"Aw, pretending to care now, aren't we?" The information broker grinned. "Not going to do shit, mind you."

This time, his fist met the pale girl's cheek. The person on the other end of the line had gone silent, so Soma took the opportunity to relieve some stress, once more, by landing consecutive hits on the information broker's face. He didn't know how many times, and like hell he cares, but soon he was just an angry panting mess who still was forcing back the tears on his eyes. His hands curled around the collars of the smaller female's shirt.

When C figured he wasn't going to land any more hits, she grinned, "You know, with your training, I honestly have thought you'd learn how to throw a proper punch. But you'll never cause pain to me this way. I would say learn to punch like a girl. After all, Yuka's punches do hurt like hell."

In response to the jab of insult the other had thrown at him, Soma hurled her away from him and to the closed gates of the elevator, rattling the metals with such force. C's mad laughter was filling the empty spaces of the halls when he turned away and returned to his room.

* * *

"Ah! Excuse me! I'm sorry!"

Yuka was grateful for her quick reflex that she didn't slow down the hurrying Kota to wherever he was rushing to. As she gave the redhead a final curious glance, the last of her steps led her before Lenka. Tatsumi and Brendan appeared to have been having a conversation with him a while ago, but by the time she had arrived, the Defense Team leader was already leading the other to the cafeteria. "What's with Kota's rush?"

"He had just learned the E26 was attacked by invading Aragami," the younger male answered. "His family lives there..."

Her lips rounded to a soft 'Oh' as she brought her gaze back to where the gunner had disappeared to. "Yeah," she then said, turning back to him. "They came barging in like uninvited guests. We prioritized the civilians' evacuation, but I guess, we really can't save everybody." The words slipped past her lips rather casually, like it was a nice talk about the weather. Lenka almost forgot that Yuka had been dealing with these events for six years, probably longer. The pain of seeing death in the battlefield must be something she had gotten used to. It was one thing they all learn to accept. "But Sakuya's and Gina's teams managed to take down a Fallen Quadriga they came across. Tatsumi's and Brendan's brought back two Fallen Gboro-gboro cores. Thanks to those, the Armored Wall has been stabilized and as soon as the houses are back up again, the civilians could safely return to their homes."

"I'm sorry..."

She chuckled. "Is that a habit of yours? Apologizing all the time?"

"It's just that... If we came back sooner, we could have helped in repelling those Aragamis. We wouldn't have lost some people."

"But what's done is done, no? We can't save everybody. On a side note, it looks like we won't be seeing Kota around for a while."

Lenka nodded in agreement. "Yeah. He deserves to spend a break with his family, after what happened. Ah, by the way..." He took the clipboard tucked under his arm, "I arranged a mission for you," and handed it to the older God Eater.

"Sweet!" Yuka grinned as she took it. "I was just about to check with Hibari if there are any." She glanced down at the written text, and Lenka saw how her grin disappeared from her face. The blonde tore her gaze from the file, looking genuinely disappointed for some reason. "You know, sometimes I just want to kiss you, but some times, like this one, I want to scream 'Fuck you' in your face."

"I mean it. You and Soma-san should talk."

She appreciated his concern for their current situation, but there is nothing she and Soma should talk about. In proof of that, throughout the trip to their destination—Soma sitting behind the wheel and her at his side—there was nothing but silence between them. They arrived without a word being said.

They acted as they would have on a daily basis, the conversations straight and short yet concise. There was no teasing or bantering or arguments. It was plain dirty work.

Yuka thought this is for the best, so she didn't understand why a piece of her hates this growing distance. She frowned, watching him gather his God Arc and march forward.

She expected him to at least make an effort in fixing this rift, just as how those guys in stories do. But as he continued to walk away from where she stood, she realized that Soma is different from them, and that they aren't in a world where romance and love conquers all odds.

In fact, they're in its exact opposites.

The blonde trudged forward, aware of the safe distance she was keeping between their feet. A Fallen Zygote was the first to notice them as they were climbing up the ramps and it delivered a painful screech to their ears. It lunged for them, but Soma swung it straight to a wall like baseball. The sac attached to its back exploded in the impact, spraying blood all over.

"Hey—" She began, but the Gboro-gboro was already on their faces.

Soma struck it down with the jagged side of his blade.

* * *

 

It was a fiery blast that sent the Fallen Kongou down on the ground. _Finally,_ she thought, _this awkward yet coordinated mess is over._ She tore through the deceased Aragami's skin and flesh, until a faint glow unveiled itself to the pair of God Eaters. The core soon disappeared inside the mouth of Soma's predator, and as it did, Yuka finally broke the irritating silence, "We're done. Let's head back and—" A stifled gasp was caught halfway out of her throat, for she found herself wrapped around a pair of strong arms, his forehead lightly bumping against her shoulder.

It felt heaven and hell at the same time. " _Bitte... lass mich nicht._ "

"Look on the brighter side; you would wake up with the bed all to yourself, your clothes wouldn't be disappearing every now and then anymore—"

" _Aufhören._ "

"—you wouldn't have to worry about me anymore, or the promise you made with him a while back. Also—"

She felt the limbs around her tighten. "I said stop! Why do you think would I let you just leave? Why the hell are you doing this?"

His words piled together to a lump on her throat. Ah, just how much does he know now to act like this? Could he have figured out that Shio is the Singularity they're asked to hunt? Could he have known what the true aim of IRIS is? Could he have realized that she had been playing with them all this time? "I don't want you to choose." Or was it that she didn't want to hear the choice he would make? "You can't save everybody," she whispered in her cracking voice, "and I'm sure that you wouldn't be picking me anyway."

There was warmth running down her cheeks. _“Shio is very attached to Soma, and for his part, Soma seems rather pleased about it.”_ She didn't know if Dr. Sakaki was doing and saying all those things on purpose or if he really was just insensitive, or maybe it was because she had been so used to smiling and making sure she looks 'alright' to everyone that they can't be sensitive enough around her anymore. Either way, she has to accept every single blow head-on.

"Who are you to decide for me?!" The male God Eater snarled. "How did you know what I'll choose?!"

"If you find out who the other person is—"

"Tell me!" Yuka felt his chest press against the flat of her back, his chin now on her shoulder. He held her tightly in his arms. "Is it Alisa? Lenka? Kota? Sakuya? Sakaki? Heck, Yuka, I would still pick you over them! I would still choose you over all of them combined! So why...?"

 _But that's only because they aren't Shio. They aren't the Singularity the Director wishes to use for his Devouring Apocalypse._ "It isn't like you to say those kinds of things," she laughed—despite the tears in her eyes, she laughed. _I want to protect Shio._ "Aren't you supposed to just tell me to 'go die for all I care'?" _I want to protect those important to you._ "You're weird today, Soma." _That's all I can do for you._ "You heard stuff from C again, didn't you?"

Soma held her tighter, not too much so as to hurt, but just enough to keep her in place. It felt like if he ever loosened slightly, she'd go and disappear forever. He can't have that. He'd been so comfortable with the idea that she _can never_ leave him, that they both will see the end of this war together.

 _"It's all for Soma-san... I see."_ She didn't have to do anything for him! _"IRIS... is the pit of hell Ichinose Yuka had thrown herself into, just so a certain someone wouldn't be pushed into it. It is the endless pit where she continues to sink deeper, all for your sake."_ He can very well live on this hellish world all on his own! "I told you I'm not worth it!" Risking anything for him is pointless. Giving up anything for him is pointless. Throwing away her life for him is just fucking pointless!

He doesn't understand. Why is she going this far for him? Soma had never done anything for her to do this much. Has she lost her mind? No one in their right thinking would surrender anything for a Death God like him.

_"Yuka's body continues to deteriorate."_

He doesn't want to be left alone. He had been in that darkness and he doesn't want to come back.

"Soma, are you... crying...?"

_"Looking like a monster doesn't make you one. Acting, on the other hand, does the job just fine. Don't you think so, son of Fate?"_

His grip around her loosened and she turned around, burying her face against his chest as his limbs slithered around her tightly once more. His fingers weaved through her hair and she breathed softly, muttering with her faltering voice, “I’m sorry…”


	47. Bestial Twilight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Do you want me to quote what he said when I asked him why he doesn't want to tell us?" Yuka asked, filling the cartridge of her gun with another set of ammunition as new target dummies appeared. "'One: I don't want to put the life of my team on the line. Two: I don't want any of you to be in a greater danger than you all already are. Three: There's no telling who else in the branch double-crosses their allies for amusement. Four...'" She paused, letting a lone shot pierce the air and a stream of light ended the life of an unsuspecting Kongou dummy. "Well, the fourth one is kind of between the two of us."
> 
> "But why did he tell you?"
> 
> "Because..." She fired another shot. "We were pretty much on the same boat back then. He wanted a few direct orders carried out."

Lenka wasn't certain if he did the right thing. "Oh! Kota is here! I thought you were on break!" Yuka practically threw her arms around the redhead gunner in a tight hug, and he was sure Kota appreciate the affection—but not too much of it. "Do you know Alisa's been looking for you?" Ever since Avalanche, this certain blonde had been... well, extra affectionate. He doesn't consider it a bad thing, but sudden changes like this kind of weird him out. Although, the strain between her and Soma appeared to have eased, and that's just good news. It lessens the possibility that he might have to intervene a heated argument in the middle of a very crucial operation.

"Really?" Kota immediately perked up, drawing out a grin from their blonde senior. "I-I mean, why?" He tried to mask his growing blush with a bemused expression.

"It was just out of habit!" The Russian God Eater claimed, crossing her arms. "The place just suddenly got a lot more peaceful without the whooping and yelling and all those other noises."

"Yeah, right." He rolled his eyes in response, arm over the female's shoulder. "Just admit that you miss me, Princess."

"Oh," Sakuya mused, "so you're calling her 'princess' now. How sweet." The rest of the team fell to suppressed laughter and Kota retreated his hand in a blink of an eye, the pair moving as far apart as they could manage within the space provided by the hall. Not wanting to be further embarrassed by their vice captain, he threaded forward, closer to Lenka and Yuka at the front.

The sniper chuckled behind her hand upon seeing Alisa's unpleased expression and they settled to a conversation between themselves. Lenka made one final glance at everyone behind him, just before he shifted his attention to the blonde at his side, "Did it... work out well?" Of course he would be asking. The mood yesterday was a little too tensed to inquire, that is why he is asking her now.

"I wouldn't say it worked out well..." Oh, then it isn't exactly fixed. They still are in an argument. "He still is pretty mad, and if I do anything reckless, well..." She drew an imaginary straight line on her neck and chuckled. "He didn't exactly like my plan, but it isn't like I have any other choice."

That was the part that Lenka didn't understand. She was the one who told her that there is no such thing as only one way; why is she contradicting her own words now? Then again, he was arriving to these thoughts only from the details he had heard from the resonance and those that he was told. Honestly speaking, he doesn't like the idea of her volunteering to whatever the Director's plan was, but he doesn't know the entire story. The only important thing he knows is that she's doing this in place of Soma. The raven-haired leader glanced back at the said God Eater and he was instantly met with icy, threatening glares.

The only thing that saved him from the possibility of actually getting murdered was their entrance to the meeting hall where Major Amamiya had gathered all God Eaters. Lenka heard they even imported God Eaters from the other branches just for the sake of this operation.

Just before they took a seat, he caught glimpse of Yuka waving at someone seated on the far back, calling out a 'Nice to see you too' and only when she had her back on them did she roll her eyes and scoffed, "Bitch."

Beside her, Lenka saw Soma smirk slightly, "She just called you a slut."

"Yeah, I heard it too. Fucking fake." Still, the air between them screamed discomfort and doubt.

There were a few more God Eaters that entered the room; a few he recognizes, most of them he doesn't. It wasn't after a very long while when the Major walked in, the hustling and whispers falling into silence. Her gaze travelled across the wide seats, as if examining each and every one of them. "Members of each branch," she began, "thank you for traveling this long distance. I wish I could go straight into the strategic plan, but... First, I'll announce the personnel who will take part."

There was a hint of pain in her voice that she tried to mask, and Lenka heard Yuka mumble, "Lindow Amamiya..."

"Utsugi Lenka!" The sudden call startled him and the raven-haired boy stood up in panic. "You will command the advance base camp in charge of supplies and reinforcement."

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

The older woman nodded in recognition and continued, "Sakuya Tachibana is named captain of Team A."

"Roger."

"Our goal is to obtain the core from one thousand large-type species," Tsubaki went on. "Our success or failure will impact the completion of Aegis." Around him, the God Eaters appeared rather restless and worried. "Everyone must focus to carry out this mission. And now, I will go over Operation Meteorite." On the screen behind her, the activity's name appeared in a large text, and she began the discussion.

"Way to go, Lenka," Kota grinned as he raised his hand for a high-five, to which their captain returned.

There was a small smile in the young leader's face. "Thanks, but... Me? Command the operation?"

Tsubaki and Hibari discussed among themselves a few more details of the operation while the First Unit stood there not too many steps away. "Do you want to hear a story?" Yuka's voice rose and their eyes turned to her as she slid a couple of bias factor ampules to the slots at the back of her sniper coat. Soma eyed her in suspicion and Sakuya held a look of utter concern, but neither of them raised any questions. The younger members of the team cocked their heads in curiosity, and as she slid the last ampule in, she allowed her eyes to meet Lenka's. "Lindow was supposed to command the operation." They gasped just as she finally broke the connection between their gaze. "But he said that if he ever gets the chance, and he will try to, he'll suggest you to take the position instead to, I quote, _'let everyone recognize your leadership skills and to further heighten your chances of being the next unit leader.'_ " She smiled at the sight of their surprised expressions—Soma and Sakuya included, before a small chuckle slipped past her lips and she added, "And, well, he didn't want to do the boring job. Very typical of him, no, Sakuya?"

"He told you all those?" The vice captain questioned.

Lenka sneered, "It is part of the things you did behind everybody's back, isn't it?"

"Bingo."

Major Amamiya called for their attention and they stood straight. Soma's eyes made a final skeptic glance at the line of ampules before shifting his gaze at the screen. Their team, the Major explained, would be in charge of Vajras. "Uhm, Major Amamiya—" Kota raised his hand to get the woman's ears, and she looked up from the board on her hand. "—the Dyaus Pita is a Vajra-class Aragami, isn't it? There are possibilities of us encountering it if it is within vicinity, am I right? We may... have to fight that thing again, right?"

"Don't worry..." Alisa spoke, a confident smile on her face. There was a momentary connection between her gaze and Sakuya's before it met Kota's, and her lips parted, "We will destroy Pita." Afterwards, she turned her back on them and left.

They shared a small time of silence. Lenka kept his eyes on the Russian's figure as she disappeared from their sight. "It can't be helped. The Dyaus Pita... killed her parents."

Soma scoffed as he began to make his leave. "Tch, whatever Aragami it is, we'll kill it. And you—" Yuka visibly flinched at being the sudden subject of Soma's intense glare. "—don't think I'm keeping my eyes off you and your plans of dying."

If Major Amamiya and Hibari heard him, they couldn't be sure, but the rest of the team did, and they shared troubled expressions. The blonde sighed softly as her shoulders dropped, "I love you too." He growled at the silly response and left the room with a scowling face. Before Kota, Lenka or Sakuya could throw any more questions or expressions of concern, she allowed her gaze to flicker to the older woman's direction. "Let's do a few more shooting practice!"

"Lenka! Come dinner at my house tonight!" Kota called out just before they left.

As the bullets rained down on the dummy Aragamis, obliterating them at every single hit, Sakuya noticed how the blonde had grown silent and distant from them. What does Soma mean with those words anyway? It's rather worrying that there are a lot going on with her teammates and she has little to no idea on how she could be of help. "Yuka..." She called calmly and saw the other female straighten. "If there is something—anything—we could help with, as a team, don't hesitate to tell us, okay?" Confusion sparked the other's face. "There were a lot of things Lindow didn't tell me—his assignments, his constant absences in the branch, the calls he kept receiving. Sometimes I feel I could have prevented his... his death if only he'd told me about them. I feel like there was something I could have done."

"Do you want me to quote what he said when I asked him why he doesn't want to tell us?" Yuka asked, filling the cartridge of her gun with another set of ammunition as new target dummies appeared. " _'One: I don't want to put the life of my team on the line. Two: I don't want any of you to be in a greater danger than you all already are. Three: There's no telling who else in the branch double-crosses their allies for amusement. Four...'_ " She paused, letting a lone shot pierce the air and a stream of light ended the life of an unsuspecting Kongou dummy. "Well, the fourth one is kind of between the two of us."

"But why did he tell you?"

"Because..." She fired another shot. "We were pretty much on the same boat back then. He wanted a few direct orders carried out."

"I don't understand!"

"Sakuya, look. He wants all of us to keep walking forward. If he ever turns up alive, you can give him a good slap in the face and demand answers. I'm sorry. I can't disclose anything to you."

* * *

It was the first break of sunlight when all units departed from the Far East Branch. The noise of all five helicopters disrupted the morning air as the Outer Ghetto slowly grew smaller in their field of vision. The trip to their destination didn't take long; the First Unit, along with a few other God Eaters sat in waiting as their vehicle rounded the perimeter of their area. In the middle, surrounded by a barrier of yellow light was the guiding device. The moment there was ringing on her ears and a strange feeling pooling at the pit of her stomach, Yuka knew it had been turned on, and sooner or later, there will be herds and herds of Vajras surrounding the device. "I hate that fucking thing," she hissed, causing everyone to look at her in surprise.

"I want to destroy it as soon as fucking possible," Soma said in agreement.

They shared a quick smirk and Yuka rolled her eyes. "Hybrid problems."

Soon enough, an overwhelming number of Vajras unfolded before their sights. They were coming from every possible direction, marching, closing in the gaps between them and the guiding device.

"Once you're on position," Lenka's voice came, "prepare bullets for firing." A short while after Sakuya had reported that they were good to go, he spoke again, "All teams are ready and standing by."

"Attention!" This time, it was the Major's voice that rang from their commlink devices and all ranged God Eaters went on position. "This is Headquarters. Commence with Operation Meteorite Phase One. Meteorite... Fire now!"

A powerful blast erupted from different gun barrels, sending balls of bright light into the air. These gathered together, larger and larger, and in split second, exploded, shooting out homing attacks to the herd below it, like shooting stars in the night sky. It covered the ground in thick smoke, but Yuka could see them clearly, or their oracle cell composition at least, and they were getting hit—cleared out. "Fuck," she said breathlessly, "we're actually killing a whole load of them."

The meteorites continued to rain down on the herd, the noise from every impact nearly drowning out the sounds from their helicopter. It was a miracle they could still hear each other over the noise. "The meteorites will clear out soon. We have to get ready!" Sakuya told them.

As the shooting stars died out, the smoke began to clear too.

The first phase of the operation took down a number of Aragamis and decorated the bare terrain with numerous craters. From the mess of corpses and splatters of blood, there were a couple more Vajras that rose back to their feet. "All teams, transition to Phase Two!" Major Amamiya ordered.

"Close combat teams, begin your descent!" Lenka seconded from their commlink.

Soma was the first to jump out. In matters of minutes, God Eaters were falling from the sky, landing with so much force and crushing the ground beneath their feet. Of course it drew the enemies' attention, letting powerful and thunderous roars rising in the air.

Yuka raised her blade and grinned, "Off with their heads!" She saw every melee user take out a bias ampule, thrusting it into their God Arcs.

Well, that's as much fun as she would be having for this operation.

_"I can't believe this..."_

_Licca shrugged helplessly, while the doctor didn't even bother giving her a single glance. "Sorry, but it's better safe than sorry, right? Your God Arc is still a prototype, and already unstable at normal conditions."_

_"The only reason that prototype hasn't devoured you yet is thanks to your different Bias Factor," Sakaki finally said. "What do you think will happen if you trigger an already unstable God Arc into frenzy?" He leaned away from his computer. "Do you want to take the risk of turning against your team in the middle of a crucial operation?"_

The devouring process had filtered out most of the nearby Aragamis. Although the numbers of enemies had been lessened, there are still enough of the Vajras that could feast on them if they aren't careful enough. Yuka clashed with one that was to pounce on Kota, said gunner quickly backing off before he was caught in the turmoil. The rest of the team made immediate moves as well, engaging the remaining enemies.

If they keep this pace, it wouldn't be long until they reach their quota. The Vajras that had survived the meteorite bullets appear to have been severely weakened, thus, becoming easier prey for the God Eaters. Soma would savor the memory of him killing a Vajra after a powerful smash right on its face.

The others weren't doing very badly either. Alisa sent another one of those pseudo-homing bullets into another Vajra and Yuka ended it with a Charge Crush.

The operation is going smoothly as planned; well, that was until an annoying buzz registered in his ears. He flinched the very moment it did, and he caught sight of Yuka's elated expression being replaced by a rather irritated one. Clearly, she was experiencing the same thing. "What the hell was that?!" The blonde yelled.

To make the situation even more confusing, the Vajras—all of them—suddenly appeared to be uninterested with them and their guiding device. None attempted to engage against any of the God Eaters present in the area. Instead, they turned their backs and began a trek to who-knows-fucking-where. "Whatever was it, they're going for it," he then told his partner, the agitation present in her face.

He'd admit the buzzing was annoying, and he figured it must be the Aragami in him that is ticked off by whatever is attracting all these Vajras. But then Yuka appeared to be extra upset and much more impatient to lead this herd of Aragamis and destroy whatever it is. "What's going on?" Sakuya finally asked. "Lenka, they're moving away!"

Kota and Alisa made attempts to get back the Aragamis' attention but the divine bullets that landed on their skin didn't even stir any of the Vajras. "If this goes on, we'll lose a lot of cores!"

Yuka didn't understand what's going on, but she has to find out, even if it will be against the woman's orders. Anomalies like this usually mean trouble, and if they don't pay any attention to it, they might just lose someone again! "Yuka-san!" The panicked voice of their unit captain was what came in her commlink next. "The Vajras are headed northwest. The dam is there! There is an entire community in there!"

"W-what?!" _Shit!_ "Lenka, connect me to Major Amamiya."

She's not going to let the mistakes of Moon in the Welkin repeat. "Ichinose Yuka, come in."

Hearing the older woman's voice, Yuka forced herself to calm. Raising her voice, especially against the Major, would do her no good. "Requesting permission for reconnaissance." Soma's face held every bit of his objection to the matter. He figured there might have been hesitance on the other side of the conversation, as Yuka replied, "You don't have anybody else to send, do you? The options are limited, ma'am. There still a few Aragamis left but the rest of the team should be able to clear them out. ... Roger that."

"Are you crazy?!" He finally growled out, making a grab for her arm before she could go anywhere. "You aren't going on your own!"

But Yuka wouldn't let anything stop her, not even Soma. "It's just recon. I'll come back and report to Major Amamiya as soon as I find out anything."

"It still is dangerous!"

"Get your head out of the clouds, would you?! The Aragamis are headed northwest! There is an entire community of people there! If I stand here and continue arguing with you, it will be too fucking late to save them!" They fought a silent staring competition, neither willing to back down. She does have a point, he wouldn't deny, but she can't save them either if she ends up overwhelmed by this much Aragamis! He isn't going to let anybody die. He isn't going to let _her_ die. Her shoulders then relaxed under his firm gaze, and she sighed, "Trust me."

Sakuya then approached them, concern drawn all over her face, but as acting captain, she very much understood their responsibilities as God Eaters and the decision she has to make. "Yuka, be careful."

"Sakuya!"

"We'll join you as soon as we're done here."

Soma knew he wouldn't win the argument—Sakuya allowed her to go, Major Amamiya had given her permission, Yuka wanted to go there. The only thing he could do is hope that this isn't her putting her plans of dying into action. "Let's end these fucking bastards," he hissed, blue eyes narrowing at the sight of the blonde walking away from them.

_"Heck, Yuka could die right before his eyes and I doubt Soma would do anything other than walk away."_

His eyes stung.

He lost her once. It isn't going to happen again.

They geared back to action, Soma eager to crush every bit of the Aragami clashing against him. Yuka isn't exactly the best person for scouting tasks, nor infiltration work. She messes up half the time. Why did they let her go just like that?

But then again, there are so many things that he doesn't know of her, despite him knowing her the longest. He doesn't know her full capabilities in the field. He doesn't know her... the secrets that she keep, the plans she has in mind.

Perhaps he wasn't worried.

He really was just afraid.

Yuka knew she has to be careful. She has to keep herself in control and not give in to the other side of her. Lenka entrusted her the task of saving those people. "I... owe my life to them," Lenka admitted. "Lindow had been helping their community survive. Surrounding their residence is a forest of trees he infected with Oracle Cells. They attack upon contact, so please move cautiously. Although, they wouldn't be enough to stop the herd." Her heart hammered against her chest as the Vajras passed by, their small growls registering in her ears. Very much like her, they were eager to find out what is calling them northwest.

Just as their captain had described, up ahead was a mountainous terrain. Yuka continued to trail behind the herd, hiding behind rocks and listening closely for the sounds they make. They continued to move forward, and as the blonde rose for a better view of what they are to stumble upon, her legs nearly gave away.

Fear truly is such a powerful opponent.

Vajras, as far as her eyes can see, closing in to a single direction. "Lenka..." She could feel the fingers around the handle of her God Arc shaking. Before this overwhelming force, she wanted to run away—like she did during the accident with the Research Team, during Hematite Rose, during Moon in the Welkin. She ran away and let deaths happen.

The answer she received was pure static.

First it was her father's group of scientists, then a team of young God Eaters, and then their unit captain. This time, it is the lives of an entire community that had done nothing wrong.

_Ah, it'd be fucked up to run away._

She pulled out one of the extra ampules she was keeping. One is enough to cause a surge of adrenaline. _What two could do, I wonder. Or three. I guess I would have to see for myself._

"Soma-san!" He didn't expect his captain to call out to him in such a panicked state. "We lost contact with Yuka-san!"

"What?!" He bellowed angrily, and surely would have beaten up the other if he was physically present. "Don't fuck with me, Utsugi! This is not the time for that!" He blocked a Vajra's lightning torpedo and proceeded to smash its skull with the jagged teeth of his blade. Rage was building up on his chest, and he found himself wanting nothing more than for this to get done. Why did she have to go anyway?! Furious now, he shifted his attention towards their vice captain. "Sakuya! We have to go!" And they would have if Soma had not heard the incoming noises. He raised his shield, deflecting a condensed ball of energy that would have hit the older female. "What's going on?!"

A flock of Chi-Yous gathered around them—which wasn't supposed to happen. Their guiding device was arranged to attract only Vajras and Vajra-type Aragamis, if they're unlucky. "Non-Vajra Aragamis have appeared!" Sakuya immediately told their superior.

"Get out of the fucking way!" Soma growled out as he moved forward, swinging his blade at one of the avian beasts. He was deflected rather easily, Evil One meeting the sturdy plates of his enemy's wings. The Aragami threw him off his feet in a swift swipe, and surely, it would have lunged for him if Alisa had not startled it with homing bullets aimed on its head.

"We have to get to _sestra_ as soon as possible!"

"We can't leave like this!"

Soma forced himself upwards. That bitch better know better than engaging all those Aragamis by herself. She should be well aware that it would be a death sentence. Regardless of how good she is, it wouldn't do much against that many. "Soma-san..." The younger male's voice returned to his commlink device, and he wasn't sure if he is to feel relieved or furious. "I'll go."

"Then fucking go! Those goddamn Aragamis wouldn't wait for you!"


	48. United We Stand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakuya gasped as realization struck her. "C! Don't you dare!"
> 
> "Oh, come on!" The information broker sneered. "I'm helping Sunshine buy you ample time. Plus, the Dyaus Pita will have a stronger playmate. It's a win-win situation for both sides." The vice captain's face was now filled with horror, her mouth agape. Soma's worry, frustration and panic were visible in his blue eyes as he watched helplessly. 
> 
> "C!" The sniper pleaded once more.
> 
> But in response, the teal-haired girl only smirked. "You don't actually think the nickname 'Devil' is just for show, do you?"  
> She thrust the ampule right into the unknowing blonde's chest.

Perhaps it was a very bad idea, but Yuka was a little too out of herself to care. She could hear her own heartbeat, loudly thundering inside her ribcage. The Vajras just won't stop coming, although a considerable amount of corpses was already littering the ground around her feet. The Aragamis growled at the hurdle blocking their path, but Yuka only pulled back her blade and sent some more of them dead with another powerful Charge Crush.

But hell, even with a shot of Bias Factor, this was surely taking a toll on her physical body. The nearest line of Aragamis had been cleared out, thankfully, and the blood Knightfall is bathing on is just enough evidence.

But it isn't enough. They could still overpower this forest's defense mechanism.

As she deflected a Vajra's lunging swipe, another shot a ball of electricity almost immediately, which she found rather hard to block or evade. It hit her in split second, sending the blond God Eater off her feet and down on the ground. As if not quite satisfied with their work, there was another round of explosions she heard, and the next thing she knew was that she was being drawn closer and closer to the forest. One even was daring enough to run past her and into the trees, but she made a grab for her God Arc and clamped its predator right into the invading Aragami. "You aren't going anywhere," she hissed, using the now torn Aragami as a flail she now hauled to the others. Before any could retaliate, she frisked forward, breaking one's bound face and blasting another with a divine bomb bullet, the recoil of her gun being used to at least create a safe distance between her and her enemies.

Two more Vajras fell to a lifeless mass but one sent another attack barreling towards her direction. Though she managed to block the attack, the force of the impact sent her crashing.

She could taste the blood on her lips.

It was a delicious metallic taste.

There is just one more problem she has to deal with though. The swarm of Aragamis had forced her to back off closer and closer to the line of trees. If they come to her all at once, she would have to run into the forest and take them down from there.

She threw a stun grenade and miraculously slaughtered two in a few swift swings, leaving their bodies to disintegrate as the Vajras continued to gather. Another one was taken down with a quick devour, and another with a blast of Shadow Haze right on its face. A flash of light blinded the Aragamis once again, and she was able to kill two more in such a short span.

If she predicted something like this would happen, she would have packed some extra stun grenades. There was no end to these Vajras, and she was beginning to doubt all of them were from Meteorite Operation.

As if life had not thrown enough bad luck on her way, the Aragamis ceased from attacking, and she straightened in confusion. Every crushing step that registered in her ears made her flinch, and her heart hammered against her chest more than the adrenaline could let it. She gripped Knightfall tighter on her hands, watching in silent anticipation as the herd parted. They were growling low on their throats, like how humans would do if forced to obey a superior they hate. Yuka was a little too lost in her thoughts that the voice rising from the gathered Vajras startled the hell out of her. "Heyya, Sunshine! Looking good!"

"C?!"

"That's me!"

The blonde stormed angrily towards the information broker, brushing off the Vajras' angry growls as she held the other by the collar. "What the hell are you doing here in the middle of this—this trouble?!"

"Uhm... Being the center of it?"

In irritation, she tossed the smaller female aside and proceeded to swing her God Arc at the Vajra to her right. "Take a chill pill," C cackled as she dusted her clothes. "You'll die early if you're always aggravated." Yuka found time to throw her an icy glare just before a ball of electricity slammed against her shield. "Damn, you and Soma sure make a perfect pair, no? You're always high blood—ooh, that gotta hurt." But then she just erupted to a fit of laughter upon seeing the other crash on the ground.

A deeper and more menacing growl registered in her ears, and afterwards, C's voice, "Oh, hello." Yuka immediately lifted her head from being planted on the ground, only to meet a pair of scrutinizing blood red eyes. The shaking returned to her knees as she struggled to stand up, Knightfall once again tight in her grip. The Vajras all around had backed off to a safe distance, but her ears registered all those low growls. She brought her eyes to the new threat. "Dyaus... Pita."

In response, the Aragami opened its mouth and let out a low rumbling sound that lingered in her senses long enough to send chills down her spine. The very aura of the Aragami screamed death, if its menacing appearance isn't just enough yet.

 But Yuka isn't new to death. She had strolled past its doors in more than one occasion, and it had been so kind enough to shove her back to the beautiful lie of living. Her eyes wandered for a quick second, trying to figure out her options—escape routes, distractions, anything that could be of any use. The Vajras stopped advancing; at least they aren't much of a threat now. If she could keep the Pita in place, then the Vajras wouldn't go anywhere near the trees, or the community Lenka was so eager to protect.

_"Say, why did you want to be a God Eater?" Yuka looked up from the photos she held in her hand to the figure of the raven-haired man seated on the couch. There was a cigarette in between his lips and he breathed out a puff of smoke, placing his feet over the wooden coffee table. Lindow's eyes weren't on her, but on the ceiling. "Didn't you say Soma told you not to be one?"_

_She brought her attention back to the photo of Aegis in a distance. "I just felt like... I haven't done enough for Soma, or for all the people trying to survive in and outside the walls."_

_His green eyes stared at her in question and the man straightened in his seat. "You and Soma were the backbone of the God Arc study and you still feel like you haven't done enough?"_

_"I grew up with people around me dying. It wasn't the common case of Aragami attacking and it was just too late to save them. Most of them died because I fucked up." She traced the outline of Aegis with her fingers. It was the perfect dream, but under that pretty veil, it was nothing but the perfect nightmare._

_Her captain's eyes appeared to never remain focused on a single spot, because he was now staring at the framed photo of him, Major Amamiya, and Sakuya. "A battle for the dead, huh?"_

_Yuka blinked, before letting a small chuckle slip past her lips. "I guess you could say it's like that. But it's more on the desire to save. In and out of these armored walls, there are people struggling for survival, living through given rations in a small, snuggly place they call home. But I look at them and I see friends, families. I had the chance to save my own but I screwed up, so I want to protect theirs. It isn't like I have anything more to lose out in the battlefield. Well, there's Soma," she laughed again, "but it's more likely that I'll lose the Aragami first before him."_

_"So, it's a fight against fate," the man mused._

_They shared a small smirk. "Yes, it is a fight against Fate."_

Ah, if Lindow was in her shoes, what would he do right now, against such an enemy? Would he have ran? Risk his chance and try to outrun a large Aragami to warn the people? No, that isn't like him. Lindow Amamiya would light another cigarette and pick up his God Arc. He would deal with the menace on his own, even without the help if his team. If it becomes a little too much to handle, he'd create an opening for himself and slip away.

Yuka was pretty sure she heard the Pita snicker, as if it was mocking her. It then shifted its attention to the greenery behind her. "Oh no, you don't," she hissed. The Pita took a step forward, and she stepped back. "C..."

The pale girl cocked her head to the blonde's direction, "Hm?" but Yuka kept her eyes keen on the large Aragami's movements. All of a sudden, it leaped out of its spot and she instinctively raised her God Arc to deflect any attack, but to her surprise, the Dyaus Pita landed a few feet away from her, snickered once more, and headed deep into the forest before she could even react.

It took seconds before the events hit her, and she growled a curse under her breath before grabbing the information broker by her hood and following the Aragami.

* * *

Soma surely would have his head in a silver platter. Not only did he ask the blonde to a dangerous task all on her own, but he also failed to make it in her location in time. It was only the Vajras that he found when he got there—he had to make sure they don't get anywhere near the forest line first—and the female God Eater was nowhere to be found.

Although, the activity within the greenery told him she was not as far as he thought. After making sure that the number of threats had diminished, even only for a bit, Lenka dislodged the first form of his God Arc, a four-barreled gun that was slowly being eroded by Oracle Cells, and ran inside. He hadn't gone too deep when his commlink device buzzed, "Hey, if it isn't Lotus Boy!"

He stopped. "... C?"

"That's right!" The information broker replied enthusiastically. "Sunshine's a little busy with a bit of a predicament here, so there's no way she can talk right now. Hey, Sunshine! One of your knights in shining armor is on the way. Can you hold out a wee—ow, now _that_ gotta hurt. Still alive, Blondie?" It was followed by a snicker from the pale girl. "Yup, still alive, but probably not for long if none of you gets your asses here in time." He flinched. "So, put your feet to good use."

The connection died out and he heard electricity crackling, assuring him that he isn't that far.

When he got there, which wasn't a very long run, C was in the middle of the chaos—literally. She stood there, casually chatting with the frustrated blonde as the latter fought against—he stopped, jaw clenched—Dyaus Pita. "Just out of the blue, I want to ask," the pale girl began, watching the other deflect a thorn that quickly protruded out of an Aragami tree. "What's your favorite food?"

Wait... She didn't even touch it. Why did it attack her?

It was then that Lenka noticed that the trees around them looked... different. Their barks appeared darker than he remembered. Plus, they're only supposed to attack upon contact. What's going on?!

"Lenka, watch out!" He snapped back from his trance and was barely able to dodge the Pita's lightning attack. "He's infected the trees! They're under his control!" The older God Eater made an attempt of hitting the Aragami with her predator, but the Pita blocked the attack with its wing. Even after she had switched to her gun, the black Vajra easily evaded every powerful shot. The unit captain slice through the barricade of thorns set up against him.

A familiar voice then spoke, "Wow, you did make it in time!" Amidst the ensuing battle against the Pita, C threw an arm over his shoulder. "I honestly thought you'd be killed before one of them finds you, Sunshine, but ay, that's another point for this kid, no? Heh, Moon kin should level up his game." She waltzed past the trail of thorns, each retreating back to the trees to give way to the pale girl. C was walking towards the blonde's direction and as she drew closer, the Pita noticeably backed off.

Is the Pita... afraid of C?

Unfortunately, said female's proximity to the other God Eater caused the Aragami's attention to be shifted to him. Lenka pressed a button in the handle of his massive God Arc, and small gun barrels clicked into place around his blade. There were the continuous firing sounds, but the Pita was able to avoid them all. A crushing wave came barreling to its side, but it quickly dissolved into thin air upon meeting a ball of electricity.

It's too quick and agile. It's too smart, as if it can read every move they're about to make.

Most importantly, it's playing around with them, and it sure is having fun doing it.

As the breeze whistled in their ears, it carried with it the sounds of the Aragami's mocking laughter. Yuka scowled, glaring up at the Pita standing on a higher ground. The bruises all over her skin clearly indicated she had been in a fight with it long before he arrived and the longer the battle lasted, her expression only grew even sourer. "Yuka-san, I'll handle it from here," he then said. Lenka isn't exactly sure how, but he figured if he allowed the other to continue fighting, he might incur more of Soma's godly wrath.

There just are times when he hates how he is the captain, and yet his seniors still disobey him. "Yuka-san!" Too late to stop her. She was already in the air, all of her irritation poured into another Charge Crush.

As expected, the Pita easily evaded the attack, countering the female with another ball of electricity. As if not satisfied with its work, it gathered balls of electricity around it, ready to launch it towards the blonde on the air, if a barrage of bullets had not rained from above.

The Dyaus Pita immediately leaped out of its spot to avoid the attack, growling once more. "Lenka! Yuka! Are you alright?"

Relief flooded his chest. "Sakuya! Kota!"

"Tch, some knight in shining armor you are," a familiar gruff voice from behind hissed. He turned around to find Soma, holding his God Arc in one hand and on the other was his bruised blonde senior.

"Heh, I could say the same for you," C snickered, hands on her waist. "You don't send some knight to rescue your princess." There was a low grumble that slipped past the male's lips as he gently placed the blonde back with her feet on the ground, though keeping his support just in case she tumbles forward. Yuka was quick to rip herself from his hold and made a grab for her own God Arc. "As they say, if you want the job done, you have to do it yourself."

The hooded male snapped back at the other. "And what have _you_ been doing here?! Watching?!"

"Watching?" The pale girl repeated, rather amused. "I wasn't just watching. I've done everything in my power to help your sunflower!" There was a small hiss from the said blonde, not wanting to be given a new nickname. "Cheering!" She then stated with pride, throwing her arms in the air. "Heh, that's a lot better input than two Prince Charmings I know that have no idea of arriving in time."

Alisa snorted under her hand, "We have an enemy before us and you choose to prioritize throwing arguments at each other? How childish."

The dark-skinned male was to make an angry retort, but their captain had beaten him to speaking first. "Is it just me... or the Pita doesn't really attack us?" He wished it wasn't just him, because he was certain that the Pita didn't dare attack Yuka either when C was so close to her. Even the thorns summoned by the Aragami withdrew.

"Maybe it's exhausted?" C said nonchalantly with a shrug.

"More like..." Sakuya's eyes narrowed in observation. "... not daring to come closer." She then turned to the small annoyance. "C, how could you simply _'watch and cheer'_ for Yuka without endangering yourself?"

"Erm..." The girl laughed nervously in response, averting her gaze from the team. "I-ah... doused myself in Aragami repellant?"

Growling under his breath, Soma grabbed the girl by her hood, eliciting a loud yelp, "You doused yourself in bullshit!" And without any second thought, he threw her to the Pita's direction, much to their horror. Indeed, the huge Aragami avoided the projectile, not even daring to come anywhere near where the girl had landed. "Confirmed," Yuka said, wiping away the trail of blood on her lips with the back of her hand, "the emperor fears the Devil."

"I'm okay!"

"Yeah, but now we don't have any protection against the Pita," Kota then said, lifting his gun in case the said Aragami pounce on them.

Alisa held her own gun up. "We don't need one. We'll destroy it." The Russian then made a quick glance before returning her attention to the Aragami. "Awaiting your orders, Captain Utsugi." This is the day she'd been waiting for—the day she'll destroy Pita. She will not let the opportunity pass. She had grown stronger, and her friends are with her.

She is not alone.

It wasn't very long until Lenka spoke, after the Pita's laughter filled the air, "I only have three orders: Don't die; If your life is threatened, run; and hide." He studied his team from the corners of his eyes—Kota, Sakuya and Alisa on his right, and Soma and Yuka on his left. "And today," he raised his God Arc, edge pointing at the very figure of the massive Aragami, "destroy it."

"Good one, Captain."

"Soma-san, Yuka-san, take care of the trees. I'll handle Pita."

"Alisa, Kota, we'll back Lenka up!"

They scattered to different directions.

Lenka lunged for the Dyaus Pita. He swung his weapon at the Aragami, the propellers at the back of his blade increasing the force of his attack. It quickly dodged, running all over the place as the gunners behind him showered it with bullets. "It's too fast!" If he could only slow it down... If he could distract it enough, he'll be able to land a direct hit!

The continuous shots had the Pita cornered and trapped, bullets hitting the ground all around it. As he made a run towards the trapped beast once more, he quickly took out a stun grenade, pulled the pin with his teeth, and threw it at the Aragami. As the blinding flash erupted, he leaped off the ground to strike it.

Lenka knew he shouldn't question the Aragami's intelligence, considering he'd met and befriended Shio, but really?! The frustration was reaching his head, seeing how the Dyaus Pita had closed its wings around itself and laughed deviously underneath its protective veil. "Why you—!" He pressed a button on the handle, the back of his blade fanning out and emitting a bright yellow-orange light, further pushing his weapon downwards against the skeleton wings.

There were cracking sounds that registered in his ears, but he had no time to check or confirm, for the Dyaus Pita had flicked the appendage backward, and would have sent the young man flying if he wasn't quick enough to fall back.

He didn't know what happened next, but Lenka was sure chaos blew up right when it shouldn't have. There were messy, continuous fires, the ground erupting beneath his feet, voices calling out to him and Alisa, and a hard object slamming against his torso, propelling him backwards and to the ground. The things that came to his senses were Sakuya slapping their Russian God Eater, and Soma bolting forward to grab the fallen female on the collar, his voice bellowing, "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" Verdant eyes darted all around to recognize the mess. Another barricade of thorns had pushed the Dyaus Pita back away from them. Alisa was now sporting a bright red mark on her cheek and Soma decided to release her, must have been struck by the fact that yelling at the now-terrified God Eater in red would not improve their situation.

"Yuka-san, are you okay?" Kota's voice rose, and immediately, Lenka's eyes searched for the blonde in question.

"Y-Yeah..." Came the answer, and he found her image past the thorns, on the other side—on the Pita's side. "Is... Alisa okay?" Yuka struggled to force herself upright, and was nowhere near succeeding when the Pita found her and quickly attacked, boring a blade of its wing right to the female's position.

It scared the shit out of him, Soma wouldn't even lie. Thankfully, she had rolled out of the way and made a grab for her God Arc, this time, blocking another piercing attack from the merciless Aragami.

Alisa appeared to have regained her senses, as she whipped her head almost immediately to the source of the blonde's voice. " _S-Sestra..._ I-I... Again..." Apparently, seeing the amount of damage she had done was taking even more toll on her current state. "This isn't... _Sestra_... It's not what I meant... to do." Her voice cracked and she quivered. " _Prosti_..." She fell to her knees and started to sob, hands on her face. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Yuu... _Sestra_... It's... all my fault! I'm sorry... _Mamochka_... _Papa_..."

"Alisa!" The blonde called out in return, her shield clashing against the enemy beast's wing blade. "Look, it's okay!" The words struggled to come out of her lips, as it wasn't easy keeping herself on the ground under the Pita's continuous blows. "I always covered for you and Yuu, didn't I? It's not your fault!"

"But they'll hurt you for something I did!" The Russian cried, shaking terribly. " _Papa_... _Mamochka_..."

Soma, his irritation going way over his head, swung his blade at the barricade, crushing a few thorns to pieces. However, in retaliation, even more sprung to attack him, and all met the sturdy face of his shield. "God-fucking-dammit, Yuka!" But the troubled blonde only chuckled.

"Lenka, what do we do?" Sakuya finally asked.

That's right... He's their captain... What should they do? Should they struggle to clear this block of thorns and hope to get to the blonde on the opposite side? Should they settle for ranged support as the Pita attempts to break through her defense? ... Or should he gather the team and run away? Like they did in Moon in the Welkin? Should they leave, just as how they left Lindow trapped in that abandoned church?

If Lindow was here... what would he have done?

Above them, the sounds of electricity crackling and explosions continued to fill their ears.

It was unfortunate that the Dyaus Pita knows how to take advantage of a situation. It fled from a bombardment of bullets infecting every single tree it ran past. It wasn't long before the ground once again shook, and all God Eaters were taken aback as even more thorns were spewed out by the earth. "Soma!" Her voice crying out his name was as clear as day in his ears, just as one protruded right underneath his arm, prompting him to lose grip of Evil One out of surprise. The thorns came from all directions and the next thing his senses registered was the pain on his back, as he was slammed and pinned against the wall by even larger thorns, like the rest of his team was.

He doubted they were breakable. He was never able to break Yuka's with brute strength.

They've been driven even farther from the blonde, who was evading and deflecting each of the Pita's attacks. If he could break free from this goddamn creeps and get to her... If he could muster enough strength... _"... Would it be alright if I ask you to look after her?"_ He made a promise! He couldn't even protect those important to her! What good is he if he can't keep his word?! "Just you fucking wait..."

Lenka knew there has to be a way around this mess. They've all been immobilized by the Pita, God Arcs on the ground. The only person that could help them is now a crying mess, hands clasped together in prayer. "Alisa! Yuka-san needs you!"

" _Sestra_... Yuu... _Prosti_..." She sobbed. " _Papa_... _Mamochka_... _Pomogi mne, pozhaluysta_..."

As the raven-haired leader struggled against his bounds, he knew just what he had to do. It worked once on Yuka's breakdown during Hematite Rose. It should do the same magic to Alisa, right?! He has to break them out of their horrible pasts, out of the shells of their former selves. Their experiences are supposed to make them stronger, not drag them down! It might cost him his life, but hell! He'd rather have that than let another teammate helplessly die! "Don't pray!" He growled out. "Why the hell did you become a God Eater?!"

" _Ya_.." She slowly lifted her misty gaze. "I couldn't protect them... I couldn't save them..." The people she loved and cared for got hurt because she was incompetent... because she wasn't strong enough. Her parents were killed because she was too scared to do anything. Yuka and Yuu always took the blame whenever she messed up. And even now... she couldn't bring herself to fight the fear consuming her. "I was mad at myself... I wanted to be tough!" She sobbed. "But I'm weak!"

It was her weakness that entrapped Lindow in that church with the Mata. It was her weakness that entrapped Yuka on the other side of the barricade with that Pita. Her strength is only an outer covering! It's fake! She isn't fit to become a God Eater! She isn't fit to protect! She isn't fit to save lives!

_"No sweat, Alisa. We're family here. We got to help each other."_

"Wrong!" She gasped at the sound of her captain's voice. "You're not weak! When we met, you tried to save everyone in the plane!" Her eyes widened at the memory. "It's not about being tough! It's about having strength!"

_"I wasn't exactly the strong person you think I am. I've been in a deeper pit of hell."_

"And you already have it inside you! Don't throw that aside!" Strength... inside her? Even after what she'd done... Utsugi... believes in her? "Yuka-san is just as important to you, isn't she?!" _Yuka-san...?_ "She needs you right now to help her!"

_"Neesan... Is she family too?"_

_"Of course! Yuu-kun should be nice to her, okay?"_

" _Sestra_... needs my help...?" Her eyes wandered over to Avenger lying on the ground, waiting to be picked up. Despite her shaking hands, she curled her fingers around the handle of her God Arc and brought her gaze upwards. The Pita had thrust forward its wing blade once more, forcing Knightfall out of the blonde God Eater's grip. Gathering her willpower and strength, she forced her own weapon to switch to its gun form, aimed for the disappearing space between the now unarmed female and the vicious beast, and fired. Once she had ensured that Yuka was safe from the threat of the Dyaus Pita, she moved to unbind the rest of the team.

Lenka landed on his two feet. "I'm sorry, Utsugi..." Alisa said softly and shamefully, unable to meet the male's eyes. "I was... running away from my weak self. But I won't look away anymore. You said I was strong... _Spasibo_ , Captain Utsugi."

"Lenka..." The male replied, an equally soft smile tugging the corner of his lips. "Call me Lenka."

There were faint footsteps behind them, and the Russian turned, only to find the Vice Captain now holding her sniper gun in one hand, and her red cap in the other. "Sakuya, I'm sorry. It was because of my weakness that we lost Lindow." She then turned to the dark-skinned male dusting dirt off his blue jacket. Soma picked up Evil One and hauled it over his shoulder. "Soma-san... I'm very sorry too. I placed _sestra_ in great danger."

"Tch," he scoffed in return, averting his gaze. "Just know that if this goes south, you and Captain will be held liable."

Sakuya allowed that same motherly smile appear on her face. "It won't," she assured the male before returning her attention to the Russian. "You don't have to act tough." The sniper reached out the hand holding her cap. "We're a team. It's only natural that we help each other out."

Just as the storm surrounding them had calmed down, explosions not far behind shook the earth beneath them. "Lenka!" Yuka's voice snapped them all out of surprise. "What we really came here for... You all have to go."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Soma snapped instantly. "Do you think playing heroic would do you any good?"

"We weren't here for the Pita!" She argued in return. "The people beyond this forest... That's what we're here for, right?! To find out what ticks the Vajras off, destroy it, and save those people!"

Lenka wished to argue, just like Soma and Alisa do. He wished to tell her that taking the Pita alone isn't the wisest decision, be it to only buy them enough time. Heck, they weren't able to take it down as a team! But their duties don’t just lie on destroying all Aragamis. They fight to protect and save lives. Lindow alone had been protecting the community beyond the dam. He passed down the task to them, and he couldn't disappoint him. "We have to go..." In split second, he found himself held in the collar by a certain blue-eyed male.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! I'm not leaving that bitch behind!"As if to further prove Soma's point, Yuka came crashing down on the ground after a powerful strike of the Dyaus Pita. Her head slammed hard against a large boulder, and they could clearly see the blood dripping down from her forehead and across her face. The Pita edged close, but she remained motionless.

"Don't worry about her so much, Moon kin." At the sound of C's voice, the Aragami backed away with a growl. Soma didn't look the least bit pleased, his anger now focused on the pale girl that knelt next to the unconscious blonde. "I'd look after your precious dear-sweetheart-honey-munchkin." The gross pet name surprisingly slipped past the male's hearing, and they watched C take something from the back of the other's coat. The Dyaus Pita circled them, much like a predator waiting for a chance to strike.

Soma gritted his teeth. "Do you think I'll trust Yuka to you, you sick bastard?!"

"Heh, not like you have any other choice, no?" She adjusted her grip on the ampule she now held, a devious smile present in her face.

"What... are you planning?"

Sakuya gasped as realization struck her. "C! Don't you dare!"

"Oh, come on!" The information broker sneered. "I'm helping Sunshine buy you ample time. Plus, the Dyaus Pita will have a stronger playmate. It's a win-win situation for both sides." The vice captain's face was now filled with horror, her mouth agape. Soma's worry, frustration and panic were visible in his blue eyes as he watched helplessly.

"C!" The sniper pleaded once more.

But in response, the teal-haired girl only smirked. "You don't actually think the nickname 'Devil' is just for show, do you?"

She thrust the ampule right into the unknowing blonde's chest.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [T/N:]
> 
> *Pomogi mne, pozhaluysta (Помоги мне, пожалуйста) - Help me, please.
> 
> *Mamochka (Мамочка ) - Mommy
> 
> *Papa (Папа) - Daddy
> 
> *Prosti (Прости) - I'm sorry. | Sorry.
> 
> *Spasibo (Спасибо) - Thank you.
> 
> *Sestra (Сестра) - sister
> 
> *Ya (Я) - I (pronoun)


	49. No Way Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She didn't want to be that someone. She didn't want to be the lone survivor. She didn't want to be the lucky one while her team was wiped out. No, not again. 
> 
> "You can't change how the story is written." The Dyaus Pita dealt a head-on blow to Sakuya and the sniper was thrown off her feet. "Shorten it..." Kota, who was firing a barrage of bullets on the Aragami's body was swept away with a single strike. "... Beat around the bush..." It even brushed off Alisa's attacks and sent the silver-haired Russian flying. Stop... "But the ending will always be the same." Soma swung his blade, but the Dyaus Pita easily countered the Charge Crush and he was crashing on the ground.
> 
> "You can't alter fate, Yuka."
> 
> HOW DARE YOU. FUCKING TOUCH HIM.

Soma couldn't get the sound out of his ears.

The sound of the blood curdling scream that tore through the air and shook all of them in absolute terror was still fresh in his ears. It traveled all over his body as if it was a content of his blood, striking him frozen in shock and disbelief. His mouth fell open, eyes wide and quivering hands clenched to fists. _Stop..._ He tried to find his voice. _What the hell... are you doing...?_ But there was nothing.

There was not a single sound from him.

Not even from his team.

His chest was burning. His eyes stung. _Stop..._ He can't keep watching. He doesn't want to continue rubbing in his sore loser of a self that he isn't able to do anything as his partner suffers in the hands of the Devil. That agonizing cry continued to paralyze all of them, too surprised at the move the teal-haired girl had made. Alisa had her hands over her mouth, tears threatening to escape from her blue eyes.

C was persistent in emptying that tube of Bias ampule on the blonde's chest as the latter struggled against the pain. At least he's sure that Yuka isn't dead... yet.

Eventually, the screams became a grunting sound, and Soma only recovered from the shock when he saw her hand visibly move. Although slowly at first, as soon as it had stolen the ampule from the bastard's grip, Yuka rapidly retaliated, swiping the tube off her chest and instead striking down the information broker with it. Not quite satisfied for the latter had managed to evade the attack, she then threw her fist in the air, making a rather painful connection straight to the other girl's jaw. C tumbled off her feet and skidded closer to the barricade of thorns.

Yuka didn't appear to see them, or if she did, she paid them no attention. The blonde struggled to her feet and picked up her God Arc, dragging the lengthy and massive blade across the rocky terrain and towards the Dyaus Pita. "Yuka!" He called out, his voice finally returning to his throat. Soma lunged forward, crushing every thorn blocking his way. But for every one he takes down, two more springs up from the ground and attacks him. "Dammit!"

C got up rather quickly, snickering as she felt around her jaw. "Well? What are you all standing there for? Sunshine will handle the Emperor." The words came out of her lips with absolute confidence, but Soma isn't one to be fooled.

He would murder the sick bastard as soon as she comes within his arms' reach.

_"Trust me."_

Soma finally lowered his God Arc, the noises of the clash above him being the sounds now filling his senses. He marched away from the line of thorns, gritting his teeth in anger. "Let's go," he then said in a strained voice, startling the remaining God Eaters. "We're wasting our time here. You—" He lifted his blade and pointed at C. "—make sure she returns in one piece."

"But—!"

He threw his captain a sharp, icy glare. "Let's _go._ " It was not a suggestion nor an option, but a firm and solid command. Even Lenka was taken aback by the sudden change in the male's tone, and how he refused to look back at the battle in the distance and the pale girl watching them. They exchanged worried glances.

"It hurts me to know that none of you are willing to entrust Sunshine to me." C feigned sadness and placed a hand over her chest. "I've kept her alive this long. A few more... extra days wouldn't be difficult to grant." Noticing how their faces now held a look of utter fear, she erupted into a fit of laughter. "Oh, I'm just fooling around! Run along now, would you?"

Lenka swallowed the lump in his throat and reluctantly led his team to the direction of the dam. They ventured across the Aragami trees, careful not to trigger any of them into attacking. "Lenka, how are there people living beyond the dam?" Sakuya finally asked.

"Lindow alone had been protecting them," he answered as they ran. The vice captain's eyes widened at the reply she received, and the man's name slipped past her lips in a ghostly whisper. "The trees were originally meant to protect them but..." His words dwindled off as they neared a steep slope and he took no hesitation to jump, everyone else following his lead. A quick flick of his gaze to the left, and he caught sight of the herd closing in. They were moving fast, and if they spare another second to lose, there would be no hope for all the people down there. "Sakuya, let's split up," he whipped his head to the vice captain as he spoke. "One will handle evacuation. The other would search for the device. It should be somewhere around here." They have to move quickly.

Loud rustling sounds emanated not too far from them. It was followed by an enraged roar, the sounds of wood crunching and breaking under brute force, and a certain blonde God Eater flung out of the forest and into the clearing. Soma was to mindlessly dash off to her side, and he wasn't sure whether to be grateful or even more irritated that the raven-haired male had stopped him, for the Dyaus Pita soon emerged from where the blonde had come from. It crushed the trees with its feet, once again growling angrily at the female God Eater in its wake.

"You... damn..." He heard the words slip past the female's lips as she struggled to rise, clutching something to her chest with her left arm. What is that? "... bastard." Yuka collapsed on one knee, forced to let go of the object in her hand just to keep herself upright.

Is that... an armlet?

In panic, his eyes searched for her right wrist, and there was no word to describe his relief when he found her own armlet snug around her wrist. Whose armlet was that one then? Even while down on one knee, the blonde fought to get her grip back on the spare armlet, holding it close to her chest once more.

Why the hell wouldn't she just drop that and slip away?!

She was already covered in wounds and bruises, blood continuing to stain the half of her face. There was a slice across her cheek, on her arm and on the outer side of her right thigh. Her clothes were a mess and she could barely even stand. There was even blood trickling from the corner of her lips. "It's so cute when Yuka can't control her own emotions," a voice behind them chuckled. "She reminds me of an enraged Aragami."

This time, no one was able to stop him from striking down the teal-haired female, her face meeting the ground. "Heh," she sneered as she rose back up. "Sunshine could really pull a better punch. That one from a while ago? Damn, that stung like hell."

"C..." Sakuya's shaky voice shook Soma from his angry trance, though his accumulated rage was beginning to blind him slowly. "That armlet... Is that...?"

"What do you think? Pita can't be taken down by one man, regardless of how good he is. Unless, of course, he can actually take down an Ouroboros alo—oof!" She didn't even get to finish her sentence after receiving another heavy blow from the dark-skinned God Eater. But she didn't have to. Everyone pretty much get what she meant. The smaller female snickered, and the sniper's eyes widened in shock upon meeting C's grin. Her hands found their way over her mouth, slow and quivering in disbelief.

"No way..." The older woman whimpered as her knees gave away. "... Lindow..."

Now he understood why Yuka wouldn't let go of that armlet. Soma could feel the same intensity of rage inside him—the same intensity of desire to send that beast back to the pit of hell it sprung out of, even if it is the last thing he'll do. They have to destroy that Pita, no matter what.

The vicious Aragami momentarily flicked its attention toward their direction, laughed once more and afterwards—

Red is the color of the Dyaus Pita's eyes.

Red is the color of blood.

Red is anger and hatred.

Red is the only color he's seeing now.

His body reacted before he could even think. He jumped; the voice of his captain calling out to him quickly drowned out by the rage boiling within him, and took the blonde to his arms. Yuka was not moving; breathing, but barely. Lindow's armlet was no longer in her hand. She was now sporting a large severe wound across the side of her stomach, bleeding like a waterfall. Her sniper coat was so torn that it revealed before him a growing patch of white on her skin—but that's a question for some other day. The only color being registered by his sight is red. Resentment. Anger. Hatred.

After carefully propping up the motionless God Eater against a large rock, he picked up his God Arc.

_Die. Die. Die._

_Not another one._

_Die..._

_You fucking bastard should die._

He hated being played around. He hated not being taken seriously. It makes him mad. And the madder he gets, the more he succumbs to that anger—the more he loses control of himself. That's why seeing the Pita being able to evade his Charge Crush easily further fueled up his rage. It having the nerve to counter him only made Soma even more irritated. As he jumped to avoid the lightning ball hurled to his direction, he found an arm around him, pulling him back down to the ground in such a force that he stumbled, dragged across the terrain before he managed to get his scrambled thoughts in order. "Attacking senselessly will only get you killed!" The voice weaved its way around his mess of a brain but Soma refused to give in.

Get him killed?

Like hell he cares!

Not certain of what emotion fills him right now, he pushed the raven-haired captain off of him. "Move," he growled out. "You're in my way." He then pulled himself back up, fingers once again tight around Evil One.

"Soma!"

_"Soma, are you... crying...?"_

Is it wrong for him to cry? Is it wrong for him to get mad? That bastard killed Lindow! That bastard hurt Yuka! There is not a single reason for him to not get mad! He kept his head low, the pain of being such a failure slowly materializing to a lump in his throat. Gunshots rang in the air and everyone else had begun to move.

Soma thought he was used to the idea of people around him dying. He thought he was used to them getting hurt in the battlefield. But another look at his teammates getting toyed around by the Dyaus Pita and he wasn't sure anymore. It was so easy for him to tell Yuka to accept Lindow's death and get over it, but can he speak for himself?

This is just too much... especially for the man who had done nothing wrong in his life.

"Mister!"

He knew the call was not meant for him but Soma craned his neck to the direction of the voice as well, seeing a familiar young girl come running up to them, accompanied by three older males. "That girl..." Weren't they the group of people they came across during one of their missions?

Ah, he remembered now...

They were one of those that Fenrir shut its doors on.

"Everyone!" His captain happily called out, bending on his knees slightly to meet the girl's eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I knew it was you!" One of the males exclaimed, coming to a stop just before the raven-haired God Eater. As they engaged in a conversation Soma cared less about, he moved to return to where he had left Yuka. The wound on her side looked much worse than he recalls.

The fact that she was trying to stand up with her God Arc as support was proof that her consciousness had returned, and so did her stupidity. Even after she had fallen back on the ground, it was not enough for her, apparently, to stop struggling against her failing body. When her knees gave away the second time, Soma was there to catch her in his arms. "You never learn when to give up, do you?" He asked softly, sliding one arm behind her thighs to gently haul her up.

She snickered. " _Tragedy storms him... when demons... spare her life..._ " Her voice was hoarse as she weakly sang. " _... And all discover... she has a demon heart..._ " The lyrics dissolved to a weakened laughter as she craned her neck sideways to lean on his chest. "Ah... I hate this..."

"Soma." Said white-haired God Eater complied with the voice of his captain and walked back to them. Utsugi eyed the chuckling blonde in his arms, but then brought his gaze up without questions asked. "Pita can't be destroyed by one man. I would need everybody's help."

He snorted. "Well, you better have a plan."

The survivors were tasked to gather the rest of the First Unit and they hurried to disperse. "How is she holding up?" The younger male then asked. There was a noticeable guilt lacing his voice and Soma was not stupid to not recognize that. Tch, he should be because this is his fault in the first place!

"Fine, even without you asking," he scoffed. Though, Soma himself found it rather difficult to believe those words. She shifted slightly in his hold, slipping her legs out of his grasp to press her feet against the ground. It only took a few seconds for her to lose control of her limbs and she fell backwards, hitting the ground with a thud and her back slamming against a solid wall. It sounded like it hurt, but he figured it was nothing compared to the pain of the rest of her body, for she didn't even complain.

C—bless whatever is stopping him from murdering the little piece of shit—and everyone else finally arrived. Soma straightened and gave each of his teammates a glance as they kept their heads low. Lenka pulled his head back from observing the Aragamis below and looked at them.

"Sakuya-san..." A small fond smile crossed his face, shifting his gaze from the sniper to the little girl next to him. "Do you remember her?"

The older woman finally lifted her head slowly, though the armlet remained clutched to her chest. The dry trails of tears on her cheeks were noticeable as her eyes slowly slid towards the image of said girl. Lenka's smile grew upon noticing life returning to the vice captain's eyes. "Aren't you from that day?" She whispered.

"Lindow brought them here," he then said. "So that those rejected by Fenrir could survive." There was a small audible gasp that slipped past the other's lips. "Sakuya... Everyone... What we must do now..." His gaze was firm as she returned his attention to his team once more. "...is to remember his wishes and obey his orders." It appeared to have brought them all to reality, seeing that Lenka has their full attention now.

"But how do we destroy that thing?" Kota then asked. He has their attention, but not their trust, apparently.

"It's okay..." Soma was certain he heard those words in Lindow's voice, the same way he would have said it—with confidence and a irritating (to him, at least) smile on his face. Only when Utsugi spoke again did he told himself he must have misheard it. "We're strong. Believe in yourself." But then, he was beginning to doubt it. "Believe in your friends! Destroy it!"

Huh, then he didn't mishear it. Not at all.

Sakuya sighed, picking up her sniper gun. "The guiding device, right?"

"Leave that to me," Soma offered.

"Then Sakuya-san and I will distract the Vajras," Kota then said.

Alisa appeared worried that she might be left out that she quickly raised her concern, "W-What about me and Lenka?"

There was a soft smile that appeared on the raven-haired God Eater's lips. "We'll take on Pita. But first, we have to get Yuka-san somewhere safe. Her current condition is nowhere near good." It was then that their attention flicked to the wounded blonde.

"Sunshine's fine with me." The voice that spoke made Soma's ears burn once more. When they shared a doubtful look, the information broker pouted, crossing her arms. "Oh, come on! We're still on this?" Soma knows just how 'fine' Yuka could be under C's watch. As long as the greedy bastard is around, the Pita can't possibly harm her. But the problem lies on the fact that C can be the very source of harm. True that she isn't a fighter, and Yuka could easily overpower her in terms of strength, but at this state? Soma highly doubted it. "If you're still hung up on the ampule-thing; if I hadn't done that, she wouldn't even be breathing anymore. Plus," the hooded girl turned towards Soma, huffing, "I made sure she returns in one piece, Prince Charming, just as you wanted."

He found all eyes now on him. Apparently, the final say on this matter is on him. Soma grumbled in response the information broker's childish growls. "Whatever." Sending one final sharp glare at the other, Soma brought his attention back to their captain. "Any idea where that guiding device might be?"

"Well, every Vajra is heading to the same direction—the lake," Utsugi answered.

"Oh," one of the survivors butted in. "We heard something fall into the lake a few nights ago."

Another one quickly added, "We rushed to see if it was an Aragami, but nothing was there."

He had the two men lead him to where the sound came from, and as they neared the lake, Soma could feel the buzzing in his ears growing stronger and, of course, even more irritating. Surely, that stupid guiding device is somewhere in here. _It fucking pisses me off._ He wasted no time jumping into the water.

* * *

Yuka was certain the only thing keeping her connection to reality was the pain. It hurt everywhere. Her vision was so blurry she could barely make out her surroundings. Ah, wasn't there Soma's voice a while ago? She isn't that sure. Half of her head tells her it was him, the other half convinces her that she was dreaming.

Once again, despite her revolting physical body, she forced herself up. Her hand was pressing against something hard and cold, and her hazy mind told her it was good, so she used it as support and a guide, walking to the direction parallel of it.

That's why when her guide suddenly disappeared; Yuka could only fall forward on the ground, her legs betraying her almost immediately. She cursed, the jolt of pain striking _everywhere._ She isn't in a good shape, but there was neither comfortable position nor spot.

She forced her eyes to focus, but with her vision unclear and the dark hues registering to her senses, it was hard to get her head out of the clouds. It felt like she was being dragged down and the ringing on her ears didn't make her situation any more pleasing.

_Destroy it._

The ringing ceased, and was replaced by the sound of a loud explosion not too far from where she was. Yuka brought her gaze up, registering only a tall fountain of water that died out pretty soon, and a huge dark figure moving all over.

"You sure are fighting it pretty good this time," a voice next to her said. "... unlike the last time." She barely recognized the voice, with her head growing more and more hazy. "Ow, that's a pretty bad hit for Red Riding Hood."

Red Riding Hood? Who is...?

A blur of red and violet dashed across her vision, towards the dark figure's direction which quickly jumped out of the way. Was that... a Charge Crush?

A... Charge Crush. Soma's Charge Crush... Soma... Alisa... Lenka, Kota and... Sakuya.

As if being pulled out from the depths of the waters, Yuka jolted fully awake and aware of her surroundings. Her head still spun, but her vision was beginning to stabilize, as she was slowly seeing things much clearer now. The pain all over her body grew worse, but that's what assured her that she still as alive and has complete control over her own consciousness. The voice inside her head was gone.

Purple balls of electricity danced in the air, missing its designated target—Lenka—and exploding upon contact with the ground. The Dyaus Pita shifted its attention to the assailant to its left—Alisa, deflecting two different kinds of attacks from the Russian God Eater before using its wing as a covering against a barrage of bullets. Another one—Soma—moved forward from its right and the large Aragami raised its right front leg, but when the predator emerged from the blade the God Eater was about to swing, it chose the better option of completely evading the attack.

It was Soma and Alisa who engaged the black Vajra in close range and even with that, it was still able to keep up with its attackers, be it in melee or ranged hits. Two consecutive gunshots then rang in her ear, sending two laser bullets up in the sky which joined together and formed a triangular frame over the Aragami's head. Yuka didn't know what it was, but as soon as it started to emit lightning, the ball of electricity the Pita had summoned was slowly being sucked into the frame.

The Dyaus Pita wasn't happy about it, apparently. If anything, it appeared to be more pissed off. But it was during that occasion that Lenka managed to clash his blade against one of the Aragami's wing blade, and when the latter attempted to flee, it was trapped in place by a couple of lasers shooting all around its feet.

A quick explosion, Lenka crashing on the ground, and the said wing blade snapping off the rest of the appendage was what happened next.

"Now they made him mad," C snickered.

And she wasn't joking.

A loud, dreadful roar filled the air as the Aragami was surrounded by blood red light. Even the lightning it summoned was of the same color, and was powerful enough to break the frame that had been set up a while ago.

Yuka's blood ran cold at the sight.

A field of red glow appeared on the Pita's feet, and it split second, it had wiped away all of its assailants with bursts of lightning. "... I have... t-to get there..." The words struggled on their way out of her lips as she forced herself to stand. Most of her wounds had stopped bleeding, but it didn't mean they ceased from hurting. The one on her cheek stung. The one on her thigh prevented her from standing upright. The big open wound on the side of her stomach kept her in place. Yuka hated it. She hated being in a safe distance while her friends are out there, being toyed around. She held her God Arc in one hand, her fourth and final ampule on the other.

She needed to get there.

"Aw, come on, Sunshine. They need someone who'll live to tell the tale."

Her grip on both hands tightened.

She didn't want to be that someone. She didn't want to be the lone survivor. She didn't want to be the lucky one while her team was wiped out. No, not again.

"You can't change how the story is written." The Dyaus Pita dealt a head-on blow to Sakuya and the sniper was thrown off her feet. "Shorten it..." Kota, who was firing a barrage of bullets on the Aragami's body was swept away with a single strike. "... Beat around the bush..." It even brushed off Alisa's attacks and sent the silver-haired Russian flying. _Stop..._ "But the ending will always be the same." Soma swung his blade, but the Dyaus Pita easily countered the Charge Crush and he was crashing on the ground.

"You can't alter fate, Yuka."

_HOW DARE YOU. FUCKING TOUCH HIM._

* * *

Maybe this was really impossible. Maybe this is more than what they could handle. Maybe they are all too weak for this. They tried. They really did. But those little efforts that eventually pile up to something big is simply bullshit. They don't have unlimited tries. They aren't immortals.

Maybe hope is just some kind of sick crap.

Soma had been a God Eater for six years. He had his share of wounds, bruises, tough missions, and deaths. He'd defeated Aragamis with just brute force. Having a plan works surprisingly well too. So, why does it fail on the Dyaus Pita? Which is nothing more than another Aragami?

He coughed, droplets of blood staining his glove and clothes. _Ah,_ he thought, _you're probably laughing at all of us, right now, aren't you?_ His body ached. His hand moved to the source of the pain, only to feel a cold fluid coat his fingers. Fucking hell, he's bleeding. And none of them has any more strength to fight.

This battle is a lost cause.

He craned his neck to the Pita's direction—the bastard was laughing. A devious laugh that he'd always heard, and irritates him to no end. When his gaze met the Aragami's red eyes, it snickered, and Soma wanted to wipe the smug smirk off its face, but his body failed him. He could barely even move. A ball of electricity appeared before his eyes and when it began to fly towards his direction, he didn't even have the energy to fight back. His eyes went shut, anticipating the pain to come.

It hit something and exploded before it could even make contact with him. The white-haired God Eater quickly opened his eyes, only to register smoke beginning to thin out. Alisa not too far from him looked as surprised as he was, for a huge thorn had just spiked out of the ground. It must have collided with the Dyaus Pita's spark ball, and Soma was both thankful and surprised.

They were saved by this thorn that miraculously sprouted of dry land.

Realizing that its plan to destroy them had failed, the Pita aimed this time for Kota and Sakuya's direction, and when another huge spike protruded out of the ground, none of them were sure if it was still a miracle. The Aragami growled in rage, thrusting its wing to where Utsugi was, crawling to the spot of the fallen wing blade. But, as it was in the first two tries, the attack was deflected by the third large thorn that sprung out.

This is definitely not a miracle. His eyes widened at the realization just as a voice—flat and lacking in emotion, still, strangely familiar—came, "You aren't... playing fairly."

"Yuka..." His voice broke. "What are you doing here...?" She still looked like how she did when they left her, covered in bruises and wounds, except that her torn sniper coat was gone and the choker around her neck already detached but still hung around said body part. Soma didn't know what to make of the stark white coloration on her skin that had now crawled to her neck, a portion of her stomach, and the entire upper part of her left arm. Even her hair, which now covered her right eye, had a lot of white strands. "That bastard..." He tried again. "...is going to kill you...!"

He wasn't certain if she heard him, or anybody for that matter, because she kept her stare at the Aragami as she trudged forward towards the Pita, dragging Knightfall with her. A faint clatter registered in his ears, and he looked down on the ground just in time to see another ampule hit a rock and stop rolling. _Did she...?!_

The blonde was not listening to any of them. As she walked past them who couldn't do a single thing, smaller thorns spiked out of the ground, marking her path. _So the ones that protected them was her doing?_

"Are you... scared?" The Pita, in response, growled threateningly, thrusting its right wing forward to attack. Soma was certain if he was but an ordinary human, he would have died of a heart attack right there and then, because Yuka didn't even move an inch. Neither did she falter, and he then understood why.

Another large thorn sprung out of the ground and blocked the Aragami's attack, retracting back as quickly as it had come. Alisa witnessed it all with wide blue eyes. "She controls... them?"

No, she can't. She never was able to. They just burst out of the ground at random, and they definitely do not disappear as soon as that. Gritting his teeth, Soma allowed his gaze to travel. If Yuka is here now, then she should be too. That teal-haired bastard in a blue hood should be close by. They've kept him in the dark for too long and he's having none of it anymore.

He needed an answer as to why the Pita took a step back for every step closer that the blonde took, as if Yuka was anything like C—an entity to be afraid of.

Soma immediately cursed himself for even thinking of such. Yuka is nothing like the greedy bastard, and the fact that the Pita is trying to fight back is just enough evidence. Lightning struck once more before he could even register it to his senses. It left a crater on the ground, along with a mess of dust and rocks, and the Aragami brought its gaze up just in time to catch its enemy barreling down to it, blade bathing in a wild mixture of red and violet aura.

It jumped out of its spot, leaving its attacker landing on the ground instead. But from the cloud of smoke that gathered around the blonde, a destructive Charge Crash erupted within split second, heading straight for the beast mid-air. As the Pita was unable to obviate from the attack this time, it simply veiled its wings around itself to receive the attack. Although it took defensive measures before the crushing blow could land, the Pita was taken aback by the drastic change in the attack's raw power that it lost its bearing the moment it was hit. Still, it landed on the grounded on its feet, wings smoking as if it had been charred.

Apparently, the Aragami didn't take that very well. It narrowed its red eyes, scrutinizing its new enemy. It then hauled itself off the ground by surprise, the blades of its wings glowing red and crackling with electricity as it lunged for the female in unrivaled speed. When it hit nothing but thin air, it growled in irritation, sending a quick spark ball to the direction the blonde had jumped to. In retaliation, she fired a single shot, which met the electric orb halfway and caused an explosion.

"She's actually..." Amidst the pain coursing his body, Kota found his voice. "... handling the Pita well. It has yet to land a single hit." Sakuya was crawling to where her God Arc was, and when it was within her arm's reach, she hurriedly pulled it to her side, hands shuffling through her ammunition types and then positioning on the trigger. "Sakuya... W-What are you...?" Before the redhead could finish his question, the sniper fired, letting lose a laser bullet towards the direction of the Pita, which wasn't a pretty difficult target considering its massive build.

Unfortunately, the Aragami noticed the projectile seconds before it could connect, and was quick to raise its defenses and counter by unleashing a flurry of glowing red spark balls.

When they all opened their eyes, a palisade of thorns now lined up before them, broken by the Dyaus Pita's attack. Yuka was standing before Sakuya in defense, and the sniper was looking up at the blonde in disbelief. "Yuka, your skin is... turning white! Is this Oracle Cell erosion too?!" Sakuya wished this was just her seeing things after this train wreck of events. She hoped this is not what the doctor had warned her about when she consulted him with Yuka using Bias ampules this way. Even her hair was losing its color, making her blue eyes even more vibrant and prominent.

If she didn't know the younger God Eater personally, Sakuya might even say she looks almost scary.

"... No."

The Pita studied the slivered spikes, and snickered, as if realizing its opponent isn't as strong as it initially thought it was. It then became even more aggressive with its attacks, launching balls of electricity as closed the distance between itself and the God Eater, effectively dodging the thorns summoned from the ground. Soma finally saw emotion bloom into the female's face—silent irritation, like that of a child unable to get what she wants and can't do anything about it.

Like when her father pretended to not know about the cake (hardly call it one, really) they made for him on his twelfth birthday. She was at the verge of tears when the adult man decided to give in.

A clashing sound startled him from his train of thoughts and he brought his eyes to the source of the sound. The Pita was now trying to break through the blonde's tower shield with its remaining wing blades, but the other was holding her guard surprisingly well, though noticeably being pushed back by the large Aragami. It was to swipe at the God Eater, but was forced to jump out of harm's way as Utsugi lunged for it, the broken blade of the Pita's wings now attached to his weapon through the mouth of a predator.

"Lenka!" Alisa gasped, noticing how his own infection had crawled up his arm and covered nearly half of his face.

"Yuka-san, are you okay?" Their captain asked. "Sorry for having you cover for me this long."

She cocked her head towards the male but made no reply, instead pulling back her blade and letting it be blanketed by a surge of power not even a God Eater of Soma's caliber was able to gather before. The dark-skinned male swallowed. _Just what... is she?_

It went straight for the Pita, and the latter attempted to counter with a single shot of a spark ball. But it was easily devoured by the crushing wave, forcing the Aragami to once again protect itself with its skeletal wings. As it held its defense against the destructive power, its roar shook the earth, pained yet terrifying.

Is this the IRIS project? Is this what the bastard called the _Hope Project?_ Does it aim to develop God Eaters greater than Fenrir had ever had? God Eaters that surpass even the levels of human-Aragami hybrids?

The Charge Crush left little cracks on the Pita's wings, and it took all of them by surprise.

But very much like their Captain, it takes a toll on her physical body. At this point, Yuka was almost the same color as Shio.

... and Shio is an Aragami.

Before Soma could gather coherent thoughts that should actually make sense, the blonde had launched herself off the ground, Utsugi not very far behind. They charged towards the Pita, circling it in two different directions. It tried to strike them with flashes of red lightning, but the pair proved a little too fast and infuriating for the Aragami now. Some hits do land on the massive beast, but most of them were either deflected by its wings or entirely evaded. At one occasion, it was able to distract the raven-haired God Eater with a few spark balls, and was to skewer him on the ground if not for a humongous thorn that sprang up before the blade could make contact with the God Eater's body. Lenka took this opportunity to jump back to his feet and swing his own blade, effectively cutting off the wing blade from the rest of the skeleton.

The Pita growled angrily in response, irritated that both of its wings now had broken appendages.

These two had exceeded the stage of playthings, and are no more than annoying and resilient threats.

The one on the right moved fast, skillfully avoiding the barrage of red glowing orbs. Although, one did crash right into the blonde's body, sending her down on the ground and her God Arc flying out of her grip. The Pita struck a follow-up with a thrust of its wing, but the other immediately jumped out of the way and set foot on one of the wing's appendages. It obviously took the Aragami by surprise, especially after the assailant smashed her bare fist right into the beast's skeletal blade. The area that met the rage of her fist cracked upon contact. It left a damage so wide that Lenka could see it visibly from where he stood.

The Pita howled and flailed its wings, successfully sending the God Eater off of its limbs. Yuka landed right on the ground and barely had enough time to pick up her fallen weapon, just before the Aragami struck in return. To counter, she swung her blade, connecting with the Pita's, and the beast's appendage broke off upon contact, right where the blonde's fist had left a crack.

"What the fuck..." Soma was breathless. It took all of them working together to break a part of the Pita's wings. But all Yuka needed was a good punch and one swift swing.

Could Yuka... actually punch better than any of them?

The broken piece flew across the battlefield and pierced the ground with a sharp sound.

Despite the bewilderment and awe shrouding him, Lenka returned to his work. The Pita was pouring all of its rage to the female God Eater, giving him a chance to run after the beast itself for an opportunity to attack. The Aragami leaped forward, the remaining of its blades glowing red and crackling with electricity, and lunged for the blonde. She fired a shot, making use of the recoil to propel herself backwards and avoid the attack.

The raven-haired captain studied his options. The Pita's wings already had small cracks in them as an aftermath of a destructive Charge Crush, and if he could get to a higher ground and strike those blades hard enough right where the cracks are, it should be enough for its durability to crumble. Two more on the right, while the left has three.

He looked around. The Pita was still trying to land a hit on the other and if he is lucky enough, he could take it by surprise and hopefully wound it. Lenka decided not to put too much hope in that.

He readjusted his grip on his makeshift God Arc and ran up the body of one large thorn sticking out of the ground. From the highest he could manage, the younger male leaped, weapon ready for a sundering blow. It must have really taken the Pita by surprise that it defended itself with its wing by mistake, forgetting how breakable they are now with their growing cracks.

The Aragami appeared to have realized this in split second, but it was too late to evade, as Lenka struck the large beast. As soon as his blade made contact with the Pita's, two from the latter collapsed under his strength and broke off.

He glanced towards the direction of the blonde (low-key hoping she'd be proud of what he did) and he was just in time to see her swing her predator with a broken off thorn in its mouth, to the Pita's direction. The Aragami evaded the attack easily, jumping out of the two God Eaters' grasp. Yuka was a quicker thinker. As soon as the predator retreated, her weapon changed in form and released a violet laser bullet into the sky. In matter of seconds, it divided into four in mid-air, landing on each side of the Dyaus Pita—specifically, on its wings.

The lights died out and the bullets did nothing.

The Pita laughed, as if mocking its silent assailant.

But it wasn't for long, and was replaced by an angry roar of pain. A series of explosions shook the Aragami's body as it was covered in thick smoke. Its eyes glowed even redder in anger. The blonde's flat lips were now upturned to a smug smirk. They marveled at the sight of the Dyaus Pita's wings now nothing but a skeleton, all of its sharp ends now just nubs of irregular lengths.

Of course it was enraged, but Soma was too busy digesting the events before his eyes to even be swallowed by the Aragami's intense anger. Just to get a single blade off the wing, the five of them had to suffer to this point of helplessness. But Yuka...

Yuka weakened every piece with a Charge Crush, took one down with one punch and a swing of her blade, and three more with just a single bullet fired.

This kind of power... Where is it coming from?

She crippled the Pita, ridding it of its primary means of attack and defense, and drove it to the point of almost helplessness, as it had done to them. She could have killed the bastard, but she didn't.

"That's because she can't," C's voice registered in is ears, faint and distant. "Even if she arrives to the point of no return, she can't possibly kill a Type-1 Deusphage, not as quick as she can to lower Aragamis. Sunshine isn't a god... _yet_." The confidence in the little shit's voice vanished almost immediately. "H-Hey, Kismet, what the hell are you going to do?!"

"None of your business," another female voice answered, presumably Kismet's—whoever the fuck that is.

"None of my business?!" C hissed. "You're going to make me—You piece of shit! Stop that!"

"You're not the boss of me!" The other argued.

"You're as fucking stubborn as they are!"

Soma forced the argument out of his ears and whipped his head back to the battlefield. Even with its wings all broken, the Dyaus Pita leaped towards the female God Eater and Yuka was ready to meet the beast with her blade pulled back, but in the final second before they clashed—

He swore time slowed down around him—or something too fast happened. A figure crashed against Yuka and pushed her out of her spot, and both bodies disappeared from sight in the darkness of the night. The Pita's claws met nothing and Soma's heart thundered in worry. What was that? Where did she go? He forced himself upright, using the rock he leaned on as support, but the large wound on his side prevented him from going anywhere. It hurt and he hadn't experienced this much physical pain for quite a while—he isn't used to it.

But he needed to know what happened. He was sure of what he saw. Yuka can't just disappear like that. And nobody could take her just like that under his watch. "Soma, if you move, your wounds will worsen," Sakuya told him. But hell. Fucking wounds won't fucking heal already! And they could grow worse or be infected for all he cares!

The bastard is here. She has answers.

Lenka took the opportunity to strike the Dyaus Pita, effectively cutting off its wings from the rest of its body. The momentary confusion that had them questioning vanished almost immediately, as the disappearance of one enemy brought the Aragami's attention to the other. Severed limbs flew to various directions and blood stained the ground all over. With Yuka out of sight all of a sudden, he should work to finish this monster once and for all. He had not a single idea of what happened, but if he is to let this battle last any longer, the tables might be turned. He isn't as powerful as his blonde senior was, but if this makeshift God Arc could do as much as snap the wing blade, then he should be able to destroy it completely.

What took him off-guard was the coming to view of the Aragami's tail as it slammed right to his location. It crushed the ground with such force, and probably him as well if he hadn't jumped out of the way. The sudden attack gave him a rush of adrenaline and he was more alert than ever, distracting the Pita with a survival knife—which broke in a swift strike—but gave him enough opening to plant the tip of his blade right at the Aragami's head.

A monstrous rumble was boiling within him the more he put force on his weapon, forcing it to be buried deeper into the Aragami's thick faceplate. It cracked and shattered the more the monstrous rumble inside him grew even more out of control. The Dyaus Pita howled in pain and struggled, but Lenka saw the bright blue core within its body and if he loses to the Aragami now, there will never be a chance.

His body felt like it was about to burst, but he pressed harder, hell-bent on destroying this nightmare once and for all.

The core cracked and finally shattered completely, leaving the Pita a dead mass with its mouth hanging open.

His infection must be all over his body now, but it doesn't matter to him. He was overwhelmed by fulfillment. The Pita is gone. He avenged Lindow. The people are safe. His friends are alive. He is about to die anyway, so the infection does not bother him at the slightest.

Sunlight broke through the horizon, signifying the end of a nightmare and the beginning of a new battle. "We are hope."


	50. Dementia, Self-Pity and Pride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Yeah! Yeah!" He immediately agreed, bobbing his head. "Lenka went swish! and then swoosh! and he broke off three of the Pita's wing blades—we actually helped on the first one but damn, Yuka's was still as awesome as hell! Oh, oh! And then when the Pita's tail went slam!, we really thought Lenka was dead but we saw this knife go zoom!, distracting the Pita! Then—and then he came from nowhere and dug his blade on the head like rrrrruaaaaargh! and boom! the Pita is dead!" His narration was met with silence from everybody, eyes all on him. His face grew red in embarrassment, seeing the faces suppressing their laughter, and so, he quickly added, "What? It was what happened!"

After all the events that transpired, Soma thought he was just going to collapse on his bed and black out but it wasn't what happened. He barely had a wink of sleep.

Major Amamiya confirmed that it was indeed Lindow's armlet, and they even surrendered to the engineering department his God Arc, which they found after harvesting materials from the Dyaus Pita's corpse. Everything was just one disaster after another. Finally finding the last traces of that man just drew a line over their hopes and belief that he could still be alive somewhere.

Destroying the Pita is the least they could do to compensate for the life lost, the fact that he had not done much for that part irritates him to no end. The damn bastard was able to counter his attacks with so much ease and it was an insult to his pride as one of the branch's top God Eaters.

It was Utsugi submitting to his erosion and Yuka going berserk that turned the tables for all of them. Now, both of them have to spend an entire night in the sick bay.

Soma relied on strength and power his whole life, and it was frustrating to be robbed of it that Yuka had to come in her already bad condition to rescue him.

_"The reaction is much more drastic than I predicted." Soma's ears boiled at how nonchalant the old man is in regards to the situation. The doctor's gaze traveled to all of them, as if he was studying the every visible bandage and medical patch he could see. "But I suppose I can't question her reckless decisions."_

_Sakuya raised her voice. "Doc, will Lenka and Yuka be okay?"_

_"Captain Utsugi's vital statistics had returned to normal and he's very much stable now. The infection had spread nearly throughout his body now and I still have not found an effective way to stop it or slow it down_ — _Yuka mentions she has an idea but by the looks of things, it would take a while for that. But, he's bound to wake up soon enough."_

_"... And Yuka-san?"_

_The doctor fell silent and tore his gaze from the rest of the team. "Yuka is... a different case."_

_"A different case," Soma hissed, the words bitterly rolling off his tongue._

_But even with them having him backed against a corner, the older male still decided to evade the questions they were throwing him as he sat back down on his chair behind the desk. "The effects of the Bias ampule should wear off eventually. You all ought to have some rest. It has been quite a long and taxing day."_

What did Soma do to be kept in the dark like this?

Ah, that's right. Nothing.

He'd done absolutely nothing to get out of it. He was just patiently waiting for them to give him the answers rather than find them himself. "Fucking dammit." With all the thoughts running rampant all over his head, he doubted there’d be a chance for him to sleep. However, Soma is tired physically and mentally. Many things had happened, and he deserves rest too.

As if his prayer was heard, a voice lulled him to sleep, " _Were we born to fight and die~? Sacrificed for one huge lie~? Are we heroes keeping peace, or are we weapons pointed at the enemy so someone else can claim their victory~?_ "

Well, isn’t that a little disturbing.

* * *

Kota was far from accomplished.

He had received permission to take a break from the field and he couldn't be any more glad to spend some days with his family. His mother would flip at the sight of all the bandages but he figured she would at least be glad that he survived another day. Maybe she'll even cook a special meal course to celebrate. He smiled fondly at the thought as he slipped in an orange shirt and a black coat over it, paired with black pants cut just below his knee. Afterwards, he began to tidy what could be cleaned of his room.

Ah, he should pass by the medical section before he leaves and maybe tell Lenka to drop by his place occasionally, if he's awake, that is.

He was happy, but that happiness felt like it had a hole right in the middle of it—like a doughnut.

He tossed his beanie to his bed and threaded his fingers through his hair before leaving the room. When he arrived in the laboratory, Sakuya, Alisa and C were there, and even... "Lenka!" He practically threw himself towards his (best) friend in both relief and joy. "I'm so glad you're o—whoa." The redhead stopped and unconsciously took a step back out of surprise. The other male's bruises from his Oracle Cell erosion had disappeared from his face and had subsided to just the area of his neck. Even his hair that had turned golden yellow during the peak of his battle against the Pita returned to its normal color. The stunning difference that surprised him the most was that his eyes were no longer green in color, but yellow, and it was a cross of intimidating and amazing.

Lenka laughed at his friend's reaction, and Kota hugged him once he had recovered from his initial shock. Once they parted, the raven-haired captain studied his current get-up. "Are you taking that break for real now?" He asked.

"You bet I am," Kota answered with a grin.

"Finally," Alisa quipped from where she sat, Shio knelt behind her and weaving fingers through her hair in a silly attempt to braid them... or something, probably. "Some real peace and quiet."

"Peace and quiet," the Aragami girl chirped.

From the other couch, the teal-haired information broker smirked, "Is that the Russian for you'll miss him?" And when the two teens' faces lit up in a bright red color. "You're all a really fun tease when the hormones kick in." She then paused, her smirk widening to a grin. "Oh, brace yourselves. Moon kin is coming. This is going to be fun."

They barely had time to grasp what the Devil meant to say when the door opened, and indeed, Soma strolled into the room in just his yellow shirt—where is his jacket? Kota frowned in confusion but decided against asking because the dark-skinned God Eater immediately scowled, ignoring Shio's gleeful cry of his name. "Where the hell is that old man?" He asked.

"He's arranging something in the room at the back," Sakuya answered, equally confused like the rest of them. "Is something wrong?" The sniper then gasped, eyes darting at the figure behind the male God Eater, clad in nothing but his blue jacket and holding a teddy bear in one hand while Soma's hand was in the other. "Yuka?!"

Shio jumped out of the couch and to the floor, running towards the pair. However, when she was only an arm away from the blonde, she stopped, turning towards them with her eyebrows scrunched together. "Flower is... scary."

Kota couldn't make a lesser agreement. Unlike Lenka, the white areas of the blonde's skin had not subsided, evident by noticeable color change donning her face. The strands of hair sticking out from the hood of the jacket still had a few white on them, and her eyes held a stare like that of a blank slate. She is pretty scary.

The instant Dr. Sakaki emerged from the room Sakuya said he was in, Soma barked, "Maybe I deserve to know what the fuck is going on now?" The male's attitude obviously surprised the older man. "You, her, and our dear fucking captain." The words escaped his gritted teeth, as the seething male angrily glared at the doctor.

"Soma..." Paylor began, but his words dwindled off as his gaze strayed towards the motionless female standing behind. The laboratory fell silent, with no noises other than C's suppressed snickers. The doctor's gaze flickered from the blonde to his computer screen. After a few minutes of his silence, the First Unit was surprised to finally catch glimpse of the doctor's brown eyes, open and wide in shock. "Who... are you?"

C burst out into a fit of laughter.

Kota blinked, perturbed at the man's reaction. "Doc, what are you talking about? It's Yuka! You should have seen her put up a fight against the Pita! It was all _wham!_ and _ka-pow!_ and the Pita's blade came off with a _crrraack!_ And then—and then she fired at it and everything was _pew-pew-pew!_ Then she punched the Pita's wing so hard it went _ka-chunk!_ on the ground. Then—then—" He stopped shortly to catch his breath, before he resumed, arms flailing in the air. "—then a shot went _sha-zooom!_ in the air and it became four and hit the Pita then went _boom!_ and _bang!_ and _zap-pa-pow!_ Dang, Doc, you should have seen it."

"Hey, I was pretty awesome too," Lenka said, lips upturned to a small grin that clearly showed his delight in playing along with the other's excitement.

"Yeah! Yeah!" He immediately agreed, bobbing his head. "Lenka went _swish!_ and then _swoosh!_ and he broke off three of the Pita's wing blades—we actually helped on the first one but damn, Yuka's was still as awesome as hell! Oh, oh! And then when the Pita's tail went _slam!,_ we really thought Lenka was dead but we saw this knife go _zoom!_ , distracting the Pita! Then—and then he came from nowhere and dug his blade on the head like _rrrrruaaaaargh!_ and _boom!_ the Pita is dead!" His narration was met with silence from everybody, eyes all on him. His face grew red in embarrassment, seeing the faces suppressing their laughter, and so, he quickly added, "What? It was what happened!"

Alisa snorted under her hand. "Well, as much as I want to criticize your horrendous narration, I'd agree that finding actual onomatopoeias to describe everything is just impossible."

Sakuya was still wearing a small smirk. "Doctor, could four shots of Bias ampule really give God Eaters that much power?" Imagine an entire group of God Eaters with that amount of strength and—

"A single, unsupervised dose is actually enough to kill you." The laughter died in an instant and Kota choked on his own spit. "Yuka is lucky to suffer just a simple incapacitation after four shots." His gaze darted at the blonde that didn't move even an inch, simply staring back at him. "I've been monitoring her vital signs since you came back and—"

"But Yuka-san is a God Eater," Lenka said.

C guffawed. "Correction: She _was._ You're right on the 'God' part, but that's as far as you can go." Her lips now pursed to a sly grin as she craned her neck towards the doctor. "Isn't that right, Stargazer?"

Said man's lips pursed to a straight line. "I wish to question the extent of your knowledge, Sea... but perhaps, that could wait some other time."

It was pretty obvious that Soma was growing impatient with the pointless exchange. He growled, leading Sakaki to sigh and return to his seat behind the desk. There appeared to be a silent argument between him and the information broker on who should drop the bomb—or if the bomb should be dropped. Finally, C leaned back on the couch and said, "Not like any of them could do anything anymore. They couldn't bring Flower back to what she was."

Kota's eyebrows furrowed together. This is going to be one hell of a discussion and he isn't sure if his vacation-ready mind is well-prepared for this. The doctor sighed once more shortly before he began, "Everything should remain within the walls of my office." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Yuka is—has been, actually—changing. And, what you see right now..." He gestured at the motionless blonde. "... is an external effect of that change." The redhead opened his mouth for some clarification but he was cut halfway when the other continued, "The overdose of ampule caused an overdrive of her... 'infection', spreading at an abnormal rate."

"Are the effects permanent?" Their captain asked.

"I'm not sure, to be honest," the doctor admitted. "This is the first time I've come across this case. The effects of the ampule should wear off eventually, much like a shot of adrenaline, but in regards to her infection... Yuka might just be right: it is too late to save a soul already too deep in hell."

"Eh, not quite," C intercepted, grinning. "Show them the scans, quick, quick!" They stared at her in suspicion, but surprisingly, not even Soma raised a question in regards to the teal-haired girl's behavior. "Hurry! Hurry!"

Paylor sighed, much like a parent forced to give in to a child's whims, which might just be the case. He pulled up a photograph in his monitor and flashed it to them. "Unfortunately, the overdrive caused the Oracle Cells within her body to shut down, much like an incapacitation, which, as I said, is a lucky case. But..." He lifted his gaze, now once again on the blonde God Eater dressed in a blue jacket, barefoot, and clutching a familiar teddy bear. "It didn't affect the Oracle Cells alone. I found a couple of strange cell structures that have been switched active." He turned to C. "Perhaps you have a term for them?"

The Devil grinned. "You're letting me name them? I am honored!" She placed an index finger on her chin. "How about... Nova cells? Then we can call those cell structures as Nova cell fragments." She then laughed, flicking her gaze towards Yuka. "That sounded very much like SEL fragments, don't you think?"

Nobody bothered to stop Soma when he grabbed the smaller girl through the collar of her hood. Shio's mumble of "Soma is angry" was muffled against Alisa's shoulder. As he lifted his fist to strike the laughing pest, a voice shook their bloods cold.

"... I like your sister better."

It was the same voice that told the Pita it wasn't playing a very fair game. It was the same voice that asked if it was scared. Yuka's, but not quite.

C struggled to unbind herself from Soma's grasp. "You're bluffing!" She cried out, kicking her legs in the air. "You don't even know her, SEL!"

"Who?" Soma asked, seething.

"You heard nothing, Moon kin!" The girl squeaked.

"I'm a fucking inch away from you and you think I heard nothing?! You called her a name!"

"You don't know that!"

"SEL, wasn't it?" Sakuya questioned, but Yuka gave no response to confirm or deny. "Yuka...?" Instead, she clutched the stuffed toy tighter and wiggled her toes.

Finally, she parted her lips and heaved a sigh, shoulders slumping down. "... My flower is wilting..."

"Stop being a selective listener, dammit!" The pest yelled, still struggling against Soma's metal grip, even after the dark-skinned male slammed her against the wall.

Yuka's gaze flicked towards them, but her expression didn't change. "... NEI would have liked this..."

"Don't bring her up now!"

"... Yuka is mine..."

Soma froze. In fact, everybody did. Shio kept herself hidden behind the Russian God Eater. The blue-eyed male turned his angry glare back at the laughing Devil, hand instinctively coiling around her neck. "What the hell does... _she_ mean?" He had barely digested the information the old man just dropped on then and now, this? There better be a good fucking reason why this is happening.

"She meant the bear," snorted C, and they gave her a questioning look in return.

Kota blinked, scratching his head. He was not getting a grasp of the situation, honestly speaking. Heck, he shouldn't be here anymore, but running out to the Outer Ghetto to get warm hugs from his mom and sister. He totally didn't sign up for this. "Wasn't it called _Bärchen_ though?" The redhead shrugged, only to find himself being subjected to icy glares.

"Yuka!" The blonde declared. "... Mine!"

"Okay..." Alisa frowned. "That is actually..."

The silver-haired Russian didn't get to finish her commentary on the scenario as she was cut off by Soma's outburst. He had two hands around the bastard's neck now, appearing to be not very hesitant in snapping said body part with his brute strength. "Aragami Repellant," he began, growling. "Injecting Bias ampules." His fingers further tightened their coil around C, even after she was beginning to cough. "Kismet." Still, nobody in the room dared to interfere, in fear of enraging the male even more. "Your fucking reason to piss me off."

In a swift move, the pale information broker had slid her two arms in between those pinning her against the wall and made a grab for the male's head, just before she cracked her skull against his. A collective gasp rang in the room, along with the dark-skinned God Eater's grunt of pain and he lost grip of C who had slid next to Yuka in one quick dash. "You fucking bastard!"

"I was bored." The teal-haired midget shrugged. "I can talk, but are you sure your sensitive asses could take a jab?"

"Talk."

"Famous last words," she snickered shortly before her lips twisted to a grin. "Without me, you'd be dead. Did that finally get through your thick skull? Without Sunshine... having to pretty much sacrifice herself because you're all incompetent little shits that eat more than what you can chew and getting pathetically beaten up for such foolishness—"

Lenka frowned. "Get to the point."

"I'm not one of your subordinates, so don't order me around, Lotus Boy." She lifted her finger and pointed at the unit captain. "You would have never stood a chance against the Pita. Sure, you broke off a piece of the wing and managed to create a makeshift God Arc out of it, but that would have only started the true fight. And with your wounds and infection taking toll? That's a quick, one-way trip to the Doors of Death." She chuckled. "You all do admit Sunshine did most of the tough work, no? You just dealt the finishing blow, and well, if it isn't that cheating, I don't know what is."

Sakuya crossed her arms. "We are well aware... that most of this victory was because of Yuka's efforts."

"Do you think I'm a fucking idiot to believe you?" Soma hissed. "You and your Aragami repellant bullshit."

A small 'pft' escaped the girl's lips and she started to pace around the room, eyes following her every movement. "An Aragami is an amalgamation of cells. I'm sure you all know that, but there is something you don't quite fully know. Their size influences their mass, their age influences their density, and their class grants them power."

Kota totally did not sign up for this. "Not another lecture, please," he groaned out, hands on his head, but C shushed him before anything else.

"We know that." Sakaki finally spoke with his lips curved to a frown.

"We do?" The redhead asked.

"You would have if you had not been sleeping through your lectures," Alisa snorted.

"I'll just keep my mouth shut."

C continued, "The Dyaus Pita is a Vajra-variant, Type 1 Deusphage-class, large-type Aragami that had been around for many years." She counted a few number with her fingers, reaching up to six, but then shrugged and gave up. "Not even a Dreadnought could frighten it."

The white-haired male's eyes narrowed. "You fucking did, bastard," he growled. "And so did Yuka." He recalled the time the Dyaus Pita visibly stepped back at the sight of said blonde. Although it did fight back unlike its encounter with C surely meant something.

The male gunner scratched his head. "Uhm... Dread-what?"

"If you're lucky, you might just crap your pants when meeting one." C smiled at the poor redhead, who shivered, either at the idea of meeting such creature or at the eerie smile he received from the Devil. "Basically, in order to overpower one of the highest Aragami classes, you would need something... stronger."

The raven-haired male grimaced. "Like... you two?"

"As if," Soma hissed. "Don't lump Yuka with you, you sick fuck."

"Flower..." Shio mumbled, before they could have forgotten that she was there too. "Shio... Cupcake... Scary..."

"I told you that Sunshine became a god. Not a _bewildered_ god, but an actual one." The teal-haired girl smirked. "You've seen her work, doing the duty of a god—creation. Heck, she even saved you with it!"

Sakuya gasped. "Those thorns?!"

"So, she _can_ control them," Alisa added.

"That's a... case-to-case basis, isn't that right, Moon kin?" C chuckled once more upon seeing the irritation on said male's face. "And that's because she isn't a complete god... yet, so surely, there's hope that she'll come back." When Soma finally brought up the _bullshit Aragami repellant_ , C could only smirk. "What would you call an entity on the same level as a god, but not having access to creation, but only the antithesis?"

The team glanced at the dark-skinned veteran for the answer, only to find him gritting his teeth in anger. "A fucking devil."

"Oh, smart one!" The other cooed in response. "Fifty points to... Hmm, you aren't quite a Slytherin—your father is, but I guess you could be a... Hufflepuff! That's right, fifty points to Hufflepuff!"

"By now, you're just rambling," Kota frowned.

C looked rather offended. "You only think I'm rambling because you can't catch up to what I'm saying. Maybe you should have Red Riding Hood here help you in reviewing all the crucial points I've given."

The redhead crossed his arms and huffed, turning to Lenka at his side, "As I said, I'll just keep my mouth shut."

"Kismet," Soma finally said, snapping attention back at him. "Who the hell is she and what did she do to Yuka at the end?"

The information broker's mouth fell open. "You..." She then shook her head. "You weren't supposed to see her! Oh, crap, she's going to flip." A small shriek registered in his ears. "I can't answer that right now. Let's just deal with that one after eighteen years, so then you won't be interrogating me, but instead, you'd be scolding her." She then grinned deviously, either at him, or at the squeaky voice on her commlink Soma found too hard to comprehend.

Alisa was the next one to speak up, quite lost in her sea of thoughts. "I've been wondering... Both you and Shio are white, and _sestra_ is..." Her gaze flittered at the sight of Shio padding softly towards the now silent blonde, peering at the taller girl and curiously examining her. "... also turning like that."

"Unrefined Oracle Cells are black, but the refined and pure ones are white, which also ups their density quite a bit." The teal-haired girl smirked. "Take the case of Lotus boy. He tried to refine them somehow—"

"I did?"

"—during his suicidal overdrive, but that's as far as he got."

"Overdrive?" Lenka asked again.

"You tried to pull something you shouldn't have been capable of. If not for your involvement with... a certain project, that would have been a certain death sentence."

"That's no answer," growled Soma. "Why is she turning white?"

C sighed in exasperation. "As I explained, Moon kin, in order to combat a creature the level of the Pita, Sunshine needed power that exceeds her enemy's. What could be better than taking massive amount of refined Oracle Cells?" She lifted her head, lips graced with a smirk. "What do you think is the point of administering those ampules, hm?"

"You're a monster."

"Just so you know, I only did it once," the girl snorted in return. "The other three shots, Yuka did them voluntarily; the last one most especially because you were all getting rekt and squashed like pathetic bugs. Also, we've established that I'm not just any monster. The correct term is Devil." When the room fell to silence after her past words, C began to pout. Surely, they would have other questions, right? Humans are naturally curious! "That's it?" She asked, rather disappointed. "No questions about my origins? Nothing about my family? Or the power we possess that would allow us to destroy and reconstruct at our will?"

"The real question is..." Sakuya began. "... why aren't you doing it?"

In response, the teal-haired female shrugged. "Because it's boring, isn't that right, SEL?"

"... NEI knows how to have fun."

C decided to ignore the blonde's mumbles, though her expression noticeably became unsettled, and instead continued, "There would be no one to mess around with, or observe and have a good laugh at their failures; taunt their foolishness and revel in their despair."

"You're insane," Lenka frowned deeply.

"... She is dementia. Insanity is our sister."

"Could you stop playing along with the bastard's whims?!" Soma hissed at the blonde, who had fallen silent once again, completely ignoring him.

"Why would _sestra_ even become your sister?" Alisa inquired, lips puffed to a small pout.

"Who even said I'm talking about Sunshine?" C asked in return.

"You're not making any more sense, C," Kota then said. "I'm even more confused now."

The Devil didn't bother entertaining the redhead's complains. "Oh, right—our powers!" She exclaimed. "Yuka there is actually wallowing in self-pity, hence—"

" _Selbstmitleid_ ," Soma hissed.

C flashed him a proud grin. "That's right! Shio is... just the epitome of being calm, and you—well, this is going to be stupid if I have to point this out too—" She jabbed a finger to the white-haired God Eater's chest, which was only on the pale girl's eye level. "—are pride."

Alisa shrugged lightly at the Devil's remark. "Where is the lie though?" Even with Soma's sharp, icy glares, everyone else in the room appeared to have agreed with the Russian's statement.

"Though," C added, "that's not quite true. Your suffering isn't over yet, and until then, you're at most Hubris. And that pride sure is deadly." A manic laughter escaped the pale girl's lips as the members of the First Unit only exchanged confused and concerned glances. "Oh, before we forget. All those information didn't come for free. So, I'll be taking 90% of your savings each as payment." The sight of shock in their eyes simply brought laughter bubbling once again from the teal-haired girl. "But really, there are no questions about me? I've been talking on and on about Sunshine. I want to tell you about myself too! Is there really no one in this room who cares for me?"

"You're an asshole. Why would anybody care for you?"

"Harsh." C pressed a hand dramatically against her chest. "My sisters love me."

Amidst her silence, Yuka mumbled once more, "... Neistovvy would break your arms and legs the moment she sees you."

"Stop mentioning her!" The bastard cried. "For a supposedly-silent person, you're pretty talkative!" Bullied, C desperately turned to a certain redhead's direction. "Give me some love, Kota!"

The said gunner shrieked and ran for his life, taking cover behind Alisa who gasped in surprise.

"Dammit," C scowled in response. "Still into big racks, huh?"

Now irritated by the commotion, Soma marched away from the group and to the blonde, who simply stared up at him as he approached. "I'm taking my jacket back," he declared in that gruff voice of his. Without waiting for any kind of reaction from the other, he moved the stuffed bear out of the way and started to unbutton the piece of clothing. He hadn't gone that far when the others noticed him freeze. He then coughed in his hand and mumbled a "Nevermind" before he began to button the whole thing.

"And here I thought we'll be seeing a good show," C grinned. "What a bummer."

"Then you could do one yourself," the male snorted in return.

"Uhm—" Kota raised his hand from its grasp on one of Alisa's shoulders. "—I'll be taking that break I told you all about before I scar my life forever."

They watched him leave—C staring at his back with a wide toothed grin, before she burst into another fit of laughter just before the door closed behind their departing gunner. "Kota, come back! You can't miss the show!" She yelled, now running after the poor, frightened boy. "You're the main attraction!"

The noises in the hallway died out and Sakuya figured they had reached the elevator and went down. "Doctor," the sniper began, craning her neck towards the older male. "Do you have an idea... how long Yuka would be like this?" Surely, the effects of the Bias will wear off, right? Yuka can't possibly stay like this—silent and unresponsive. She has questions to ask—about Lindow, Aegis, and this so-called Ark Project. What was that list of names for anyway? If Lindow trusted Yuka to keep their secret from the rest of the team, that means she knows something.

"It should be no more than a day or two," Paylor answered. "Although, as I have said, this is my first time encountering this kind of case, so I need to take a further look into it and the Nova cells Sea mentioned."

"Is he involved in all this?" Soma asked, voice filled with hatred. It's impossible for something like this to go unnoticed.

"I'm afraid I don't know," the doctor answered. "But whether or not he is a part of this, we can't let him know that we're knowledgeable of this kind of information. You wouldn't want him to be another addition to the pile of hindrances, would you?"

Alisa sat back down on the couch, and Shio promptly sat on the floor by her feet. "I feel like we've been given more questions than answers. What are the Nova cells? Why does _sestra_ have them? Dreadnought, SEL, NEI; really, very little of those made actual sense."

As expected of the Devil, she wants them to piece the information by themselves—all when it's too late.

Maybe IRIS?

"Neistovvy..." Alisa's mumble echoed through the room's silence and their eyes traveled back to the Russian's direction. Shio at her feet chirped a cheerful "Nei!" and stared up at the female with curious golden yellow eyes. "Naming someone with such is a pretty twisted idea." When Sakuya asked her to enlighten them to her thoughts, the silver-haired girl twirled a few strands of hair around her index finger. " _Neistovvy_ is insanity in Russian."

"And _Selbstmitleid_ is German for self-pity," Soma huffed, crossing his arms. "That bastard sure has a few more things she left unanswered." He turned to face the quiet blonde, who was now peering up at him, and Soma fell equally silent, mentally asking himself what is now to do of this... problem. "Hey, Old man," he finally called out. "Didn't you say this is the external effect of her infection?" He dragged his icy glare towards the direction of the doctor. "What makes it different from Utsugi's?"

Paylor pressed one of the many keys before him and flashed the God Eaters an illustration of the human body's silhouette, Oracle Cells originating from its right wrist and spreading throughout the body. "It is an Oracle Cell erosion. The Bias Factor could not handle the growth of Oracle Cells, which would consume him eventually if we don't find any solution. Yuka is..." He pressed another key and the current photo disappeared, replaced by another one with a similar silhouette, except that the Oracle Cells originated from the chest area and slowly covered the entire figure. He sighed. "As far as the data I have gathered, Yuka's infection aims for a metamorphosis."

"A metamorphosis?"

"Indeed. Because of the P73 Bias Factor, her Aragami body had adapted to the gradual change inside, containing the growing number of Oracle Cells instead of succumbing to it. In return, it..." He casted a quick, solemn glance at the white-haired God Eater before he dragged his eyes back to where his fingers rested on the keyboard. "... It eradicates the human part of her body." The members of the team stared at him with wide, shocked eyes. Paylor sighed once more. "It's only a matter of time before that body becomes nothing more than a human-shaped vessel for... for an Aragami."

"Shio!" The Aragami girl, who they doubted has any idea of the conversation, squealed happily. "Yuka! Shio!"

Sakuya's fingers were shaking, and her eyes held a look of utter disbelief. "B-But... Doctor, this had been happening and we didn't have a single idea!"

Alisa rose angrily. "And you didn't think we deserve to know of this earlier, Captain?!"

"There is no point to tackle that issue now," Paylor finally said. "She didn't want anybody to know. If I hadn't noticed the irregularities from her medical exams, I believe she would keep it to herself until it's done."

"And once it's done..." Soma's voice was strained, and the cold-hearted Death God facade of his was beginning to crumble. "...what are the chances that she'll turn against us?"

"I honestly don't think that might happen, although I'm not entirely disregarding that possibility," the older male answered. "But... As you have heard from Sea, Yuka isn't a bewildered god. The human part of her body is being replaced, but if she desperately clung to a dangerous option just to save you all, it simply means she hasn't lost her humanity, doesn't it? Now, I still have no clue what the Nova cells has to do with all these, but as soon as I find anything—"

"Tell us, please," Alisa pleaded.

"Soma..." The doctor then called out to the male God Eater who was just about to leave the room in frustration. He paused in his tracks but did not say a word. "... Iris flowers symbolize hope."

In return, the younger male growled, "Hope is nothing but a whole load of bullshit," and left.

* * *

Kota slammed the door close once he was in, startling his mother and his sister who were in the room as well and hurriedly clicked the lock in place. Gasping for air, he told his mother in panic, "Mom, shut the windows! Lock the doors! Hide, hide, hide, quickly!"

Though confused and startled, both rose from where they were seated. Nozomi scampered towards her room, locked her windows shut and pushed the door close. His mother went over to the remaining windows, doing as her son instructed. "Why?" Is it an Aragami attack? Wouldn't it be safer to leave and evacuate rather than lock themselves in? "Kota, what is going on?"

"The Devil is coming!" The redhead male practically screeched, back pressed against their front door. When knocks came from the other side, he froze.

"Hello? Kota?"

His mother smiled softly at the sound of a feminine voice. "Kota," she said, pulling her son away from the door. "That isn't how you treat a girl."

"Mom," he groaned out in response. "You don't know C!"

"Well, I wouldn't get the chance to unless we let her in."

"Mom! You don't let a devil into your house!"

"Oh, please, dear. How bad could it be?"

Kota found himself helpless and in a total nightmare upon seeing his mother place her hand on the knob of the door and pulled it open, revealing the Devil with a bright, sparkling grin on her face. At that very moment, he knew he was doomed. C beamed a cheery "Hello!" and Kota immediately questioned what did he do wrong to deserve this much terror. Amidst the mortifying events unfolding in their household, Nozomi poked her head out of her room, and after seeing it wasn't exactly an Aragami attack she originally thought it was, she left the premises of her room and walked towards their visitor. The other girl was not very tall than her. "She's small," the little redhead noted, turning towards her brother. "Why is she white?" Another quick glance at the pale girl and the gunner's sister was up with her third question, "Why is she hiding?"

"I'm an albino," the pale girl answered rather casually, and it horrified Kota at how easily she shrugged her sister off. "My eyes can't stand the light, so I have to cover them."

"Don't listen to her, Nozomi," the male God Eater frowned.

"Oh, Kota," his mother then sighed, "that isn't how you treat girls." She then looked over to C, who returned his mother's smile with one of her own. The normalcy of the action was so out of the loop than her usual devious smirks that it shocked the young gunner to no end. "Why don't you properly introduce her to us?"

"Chotte," C said with a small bow, making sure the smirk on her face was only visible to the eyes of the redhead God Eater. "Edelein Nimeria Chotte."

"The Devil's spawn," he added with a scowl.

However, his sister, who was bouncing on her feet in excitement, ignored his words. "She has a pretty name! She has a pretty name!" She told him. "Alisa-oneechan has a pretty name too! Oh, but Alisa-oneechan is from Russia. Are you from Russia too?"

C chortled. "Nope. I'm from the country they used to call Hungary," she answered. "Although, my foster father lived in Germany. He is quite a big guy in the Fenrir HQ; head of development, you see." It was followed by the little girl's 'Ooooh'. Kota was too shocked to even speak or move—tell his family that C is dangerous and escort her out of the house. She was blending in with his family far too fast, the exact opposite of what he had hoped. The things she's been telling them; they had to be lies.

No... No lies. C had told them numerous times that she never lies. But Kota couldn't imagine this person being C—a girl from Hungary who was adopted by a German that holds a high enough position in Fenrir. Is this how she would have behaved if... if she was normal?

The Devil’s sickening sweet voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Kota, why don't you join us?" She asked with a smile. "You're still not hung up on that love triangle, are you?"

"Triangle?" Nozomi asked, her index finger and thumbs meeting as she formed a triangle with her fingers.

His mother gasped slightly, "Oh, my," then looked over her son with a meaningful glaze in her eyes.

Kota was just getting back to reality. "Love... T-THAT'S NOT IT!"

Chuckling slightly, his mother led Nozomi to the kitchen, saying a thing or two about helping her in preparing something to eat. As soon as they were out of sight, the pale girl turned towards the God Eater. Despite the God Eater's complains and denials, C snickered, "Face it, Loverboy, Red Riding Hood would not want a thing with you... but neither do you return my feelings."

"Your f-feel—" He twitched. "That's enough games, C. What are you trying to do?"

The girl took a step closer, and for one that she did, Kota did a step back. "Being human... Can't I?" His face fell. C was using words that contradicts the knowledge he has of her—one thing his mother and sister lacked. But he wouldn't risk revealing the monster present in their house, who is currently having them wrapped around her fingers. "Kota?" She was grinning deviously once more. "You look awfully pale."

He couldn't do anything.

He wasn't like Soma or Yuka who can bite the Devil back regardless of the outcome. He sure as hell can't strangle C or at least punch him. No, not in front of his family. That would raise many questions. He can't verbally fight back either. The Devil always has a way of turning the tables on him. He can't bully her like Yuka did earlier because he knows little to nothing about C.

He had no choice but watch the Devil enjoy a conversation with his family—a normal one at that. Occasionally, Nozomi would bring up Alisa and Lenka in the conversation, but mostly, it was her asking about C, and C dutifully answers.

It was after a while that they left them alone and C took the liberty of marching into his room (after Nozomi dragged her into hers and C showered her with endless praise on her cute family drawing). "I want to ask a question," she then told the redhead, taking a seat on top of his desk and kicking her legs back and forth like a child.

Kota groaned, slumping back down on the bed. "Of course. After every lecture is a friggin' pop quiz."

The information broker chuckled in response, and as the sounds died out, her lips pursed to a wide, mischievous grin. "You sure love your family, don't you?"

He stared at the girl with an eyebrow cocked up, as if the question had just offended him. "Are you serious? Of course I do! They're my family! Not like you'd understand that " Kota scowled and crossed his arms.

"Eh, I do, actually," C replied. "SEL and... the other one are just two of them." When the gunner stared at her in surprise, the girl only sneered. "Moving on, you love your friends too, right?"

There was no sign of hesitation in his voice when he answered, "Yes! They are like my second family! I treat Lenka like a brother, and Sakuya-san and Yuka-san as older sisters."

"Then..." C turned to look at the young redhead, the grin on her face suddenly disappearing. "If you are given a chance to save your family, in exchange of losing one or two of your friends forever, would you?" Kota was obviously taken aback by the question that he could only stare up at the pale girl, whose playful demeanor had vanished in split second. Lose his friends...? To save his family...?

Kota loves his family. He loves them more than anything else the world could offer. They are the reason he continues fighting. They are the reason he strives to come back alive after every day out in the field. They are the reason he works as hard as he can.

But his friends—his team... They brought him to where he is now. It was they who helped him survive every dangerous mission. If it weren't for any of them, he might be one of the many who had died in the battlefield at such an early stage. Even Soma, who is as anti-social as he is, had always watched his back since Day One.

He couldn't imagine losing either of them.

"That's not going to happen," he finally said. "My family will be safe in Aegis, and I would watch over my friends' backs."

To his surprise, C laughed, "Do you really think that stupid thing will save you? Just how naive can you get?" Despite the male's plea for her to stop because she _had caused enough headache for today,_ the information broker continued, "It will fail, for more reasons than one. Just think about it. The population, distance, supplies, the very nature of your kind, and Aragami, just to name the most important problems you've all been too blinded to see."

"You're just trying to get under my skin."

"Would you like me to get in your pants, instead?" C smirked and the boy instantly paled. "Oh wait, it is the other way around, isn't it? I should ask Yuka again. She loves using them on Soma a lot."

"C!" The boy roared, earning a small snicker from the other. "What kind of sick—" He then sighed, pressing a hand over his forehead. "No, don't bothering answer that, please."

"Okay!" C grinned. "Let's just shatter your sick delusions of Aegis, shall we?"

"No."

Instead, she beamed, "Great!" She hopped off the desk. "Lumping a number of humans in a small space, how far do you think will it work out? Even if you say that Aegis is made to accommodate the remaining population, have you never thought just how fast you humans reproduce in your so-called safe environment? In a short time, it will be crowded like crazy!" Her smile grew malicious. "Just take the Ghetto, for example, and amplify it by, maybe... a thousand. Still think it is a wonderful idea?"

"That's..." He then shook his head, not wanting to be influenced. "It's not going to be the same. Aegis is well-planned and made to accommodate each and every need."

She simply shrugged, which was an unusual behavior for the Devil. It is not very often for C to simply give up on a topic. "Distance then. You want to gather all the remaining humans from across the globe and squeeze them into a cramped dome. Indeed there were cities with more than dozens of millions of citizens, but do you think it's that good of a choice? As I was saying, the population will grow, and an already cramped habitat will only get even more crowded, resulting in... what do you think? Diseases, scarcity of supplies, fights—not good, if you ask me."

"C... Just stop..."

"Even at present, Fenrir thrives to distribute enough supplies to all people under its wings. Albeit, by... collecting everyone, that's going to get solved." Kota's ears immediately perked up at the last word, but he immediately regretted it, for he came to see another one of the Devil's manic grins. "And for the last part—Aragamis. I'm pretty sure you'd get this even if you're not very keen on listening to Stargazer's lectures. What would happen if, from all around the globe, humanity started to gather in a single location—a location that already draws Aragami from all over the world? Oh my..." C pressed both palms on her cheeks dreamily. "That'd be a beautiful chaos. Just imagine a huge fortification, with the remaining of humanity locked inside, crumbling under the force of hordes and hordes of Aragamis!" She laughed. "Even if there are God Eaters, hundreds of them, do you believe they would all—YOU would all stand a chance against Deusphages and Dreadnoughts? Aegis is nothing but food served in a silver platter!"

"We will fight every Aragami that dares break through Aegis! Just like what we've been doing here in the Far East!"

"You barely even scarred the Pita!"

"We-We have Yuka-san!"

C grinned. "Sunshine can't even finish an Ouroboros on her own. What makes you think she can take two, or ten, or hundreds?! She can't keep in par with a Deusphage without having to kill herself too. And, when she does have that power to destroy as much as she creates, she wouldn't care about you, your team, the Far East, Fenrir, and even Soma. Yuka is a not a trump card—she is a double-edged sword who can drag you down as much as she can lift you up.

"If-If we work together, we can—"

"Oh, right, the power of teamwork. The only good thing about that is that you could all die together holding each other’s hands while humanity finally loses its long war."

"But—!"

Before more of his annoying optimism could come out of the gunner's mouth, C stopped with a sigh. Breaking this kid's faith in the already-rotting humanity is quite a challenge, which makes it pretty fun.  "Look." She proceeded to pull out a small tablet from a hidden pocket in her hoodie. "You do know what this is, right?" She went through the gadget for a bit, before flashing the screen at the male God Eater.

"The NORN rankings for God Eaters."

"I'll make it as simple as that then. The strongest God Eater in the Far East Branch is Soma on Rank 11," she said, pointing at the statistics on the screen. "Yuka, on normal circumstances behind that dumb blonde smile, is a Rank 7. After the Pita fiasco and her Bias overload, she skyrocketed to Rank 15."

"W-Wow!" Who knew it's possible to just go up eight ranks just like that?!

C frowned. "Not wow, you idiot. The Dyaus Pita was a Rank 6 Deusphage-class! And yet, she needed to use a power that's more than twice its own to damage it. Do you understand that?!"

The redhead blinked. "That she was cool? Hell yeah! She outranked Soma in a flash! When I first saw that ranking, I thought no one could probably beat Soma and Lindow-san, but Yuka-san just comes swooping in and—"

"Are you this retarded?"

"W-What...?"

C was now scowling at him. "What do you think were to happen if a Rank 10—or higher—Dreadnoughts, Deusphages or even Nova-class Aragamis appeared?!" Is fate crazy enough to place the future of humanity in this kind of hands?! That might just be the case. She would have to find a better way to explain this because, apparently, the method she uses on Soma doesn't have quite the same effect to poor Kota here. "Okay, maybe this would work. Hmm... Which was it...? Episode 2987, I believe, where Johnny almost sacrificed himself."

Kota lowered his head and looked away, lips pursed to a small pout. "It's 2989, actually," he corrected in a silent whisper.

"See?!" The Devil then shouted. "Do you understand now what hellish burden Sunshine had to go through just to protect your weeping asses?!" The pale girl then scowled. "Her body is not capable of handling so much power like that, even with a near godlike Bias she possesses. Do you seriously expect her to sweep you all of your feet when you get into another big trouble? Grow some balls, all of you!"

The voice the intercepted the Devil's rage was meek and almost quiet. "But you wouldn't let that happen, would you?" C halted in her angry rambling and stared up at the gunner. "Because if humanity falls, then... then you'd have no source of entertainment."

"I KNEW IT!" The information broker then squealed, throwing her arms around the now surprised boy. "YOU DO LOVE ME!" She purred, much to Kota's displeasure as he struggled to rip the pest off of him.

"Ge-Get off!"

"You understand me pretty well," the pale girl cooed. "Too bad I still can't get into that pretty little head of yours. Maybe I should just try to get into your pants instead?"

"C!"

At that very moment, there was the sound of his doorknob being turned and the door creaked open. It all happened pretty fast that Kota simply froze in his spot the moment he heard his mother's voice. "Kota, would you and Chotte like some— Oh." She stared at his son, tangled in the pale girl's arms.

"Mom! It's not what it looks like!"

"Oh, it's exactly what it looks like!"


	51. Under the Devil's Skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> C appeared to be caught off-guard by the younger male's statement that she rolled over to her other side, curling up against the wall. "Oh. I was just..."
> 
> "Are you going to lie your way out of my questions again?"
> 
> It was after a short moment that the information broker finally sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'm really just..." She sighed once more, pulling herself closer to the wall. "... I'm just tired."
> 
> At this point, Kota craned his neck to the other's direction, voice laced with a tiny bit of confusion. "Tired?"
> 
> "... and afraid." Another sigh. "Being a Nova is... It's not as easy as it sounds. It comes with consequences. Every action has a reaction, regardless if you're aware of it or not."

Lenka is stressed tremendously. "Deusphages, Dreadnoughts, and Nova-class Aragamis?"

"Yeah," Kota answered over the phone. "That's what C said. I know I am not very diligent with my homework but I'm sure as hell this is the first time I've heard of a Dreadnought and a Nova-class Aragami."

He is very much sure of the same thing. They've always classified Aragamis depending on their sizes: small, medium and large, and the Deusphage-class had only been added after the Prithvi Mata frequented the Far East. Although, there had been appearances of other Aragamis that are now labeled as Deusphages, be it Type-1 or Type-2 like the Aether and the Tezcatlipoca, but they've always been classified as only variants of the Aragami they resemble—a Sariel and a Quadriga, respectively.

Nova cell fragments, Nova cells, and now, Nova-class Aragamis.

They had just bid each other farewell when the doors of the elevator opened and Lenka strode into the hall, keeping his pace straight ahead until he arrived at the doctor's laboratory. He found himself the center of attention the moment he stepped in, immediately subjected to the gaze of three females present in the room. Sakuya smiled softly at him while Alisa gave a curt nod. Licca was wearing a rather excited grin. "Perfect timing!" Dr. Sakaki beamed at him. "I have a task I wish you to accomplish."

"M-Me? But I don't... have a God Arc." He was tempted to say _again_ but he decided at the last minute to simply drop it, instead watching, as the engineer's grin grew even wider.

"Yet," the engineer added. "You would definitely want to thank Yuka after this." The statement received gasps from the members of the First Unit, and Licca caught herself. "Oh, should I... not have said that?"

Alisa and Sakuya exchanged glances, but Lenka was the first to raise his voice, "What does it have to do with Yuka-san?"

Obviously, the engineer's excitement returned. "You see, I received a mail from Yuka just some days ago."

"From Yuka?" Sakuya asked, surprised. It indeed is quite surprising considering said blonde had been 'out of herself' for almost a week now. There really was not much change in her behavior for the passing days and the sniper doubted she'd be sending a mail, of all things.

"That's right. I've heard about what happened and I couldn't believe it too and even more so when I opened the message!"

"What's... What's in it?" Alisa questioned.

"A blueprint for a God Arc—a Dyaus Pita God Arc!"

"Astounding, isn't it?" Paylor then said, said blueprints now appearing on his computer screens. "She even named them, and, ah, as expected, they're in German."

They were breathless. The first piece was a Long Blade, _Schwarz Blut._ It’s made from one of the Dyaus Pita's wing blades, as shown from the small photo focused on the Aragami's wings that sits on one corner of the blueprint. The second blueprint was of a Tower Shield, _Aegis EX_ , resembling very much of the Emperor's face. Had his Bias made that much of a change that his equipment type has to be altered too? The third and last blueprint displayed the new gun part of his God Arc, appearing to be made from another part of the Pita's wing blade. Yuka named it _Gross Baryon_ and it was a... Well, it had a gun icon that Lenka had never seen before. "Doctor, what kind of gun is that?"

Alisa stared at him as if his question was offending. "It's a shotgun!" She exclaimed. In return, the captain furrowed his brows in confusion. A shotgun? Weren't there only three types of gun used? The sniper gun—which Sakuya uses, the assault gun—which is what Kota and Alisa has, and a blast gun—Yuka's. "It's a new gun type that's being popularized in the western side of the world. But..." The Russian craned her neck towards the doctor's direction. "... would it be alright for Lenka to already use that type of gun?"

"Well, if his Bias synchronizes well with that kind of equipment, I don't see a reason why not," Paylor smiled. "Ah, scientists do like thinking out of the box."

"When I got the go signal from the doctor, my team and I immediately started working on it with extreme caution. Deusphage materials are quite tough to work on but the results are worth it!" Licca's excitement just rises up when she starts speaking about her passion in constructing and engineering, and Lenka appreciated the amount of effort she places in his equipment.

An equipment right out of Pita materials? It's both a God Arc and a trophy—a remembrance that the First Unit are capable of taking down a Deusphage-class Aragami.

_"You all do admit Sunshine did most of the tough work, no? You just dealt the finishing blow, and well, if it isn't that cheating, I don't know what is."_

He swallowed. Should he take it though? Sakaki appeared to have noticed his hesitation. "Well, there is no one else who could use that," the doctor told him. "The Pita equipment is crafted to specifically match your Bias. We've ran a few tests and it is surprisingly durable and sturdy. Its test of power... well, you would have to see that one yourself."

"That's amazing," Sakuya then said in delight. "Yuka designed Lenka's new God Arc? It's just... wow."

"Although, honestly speaking," the Russian female began. "I never saw _sestra_ as that type of person."

Paylor's lips tugged to a small smile. "She did grow up in a laboratory meant for the development of God Arcs and God Eaters, so it isn't much of a surprise. Even before Soma had his first mission, Eito was already keen in opening his daughter's eyes in the wonders of God Arc technology." His words were met with utter silence that he paused, looking back at his visitors with the same smile still on his face. "But I suppose this isn't the proper time for reminiscing. As I was saying earlier, I have a mission for the three of you."

"I'll go ahead and make sure your new God Arc is ready for take-out," the engineer offered enthusiastically, humming a soft tune as she left the laboratory.

"And take Shio with you too." The doctor proceeded to work with his computer, the weapon blueprints disappearing from his monitors. "This one is named Hellfire Shield, and your primary target would be a Fierce Kongou."

"That's a first," Alisa noted softly.

"Indeed! It is quite a strong opponent, and there are a few smaller Aragamis present in the vicinity, but I'm sure, the three of you are capable of defeating these Aragamis. Shio needs some food."

* * *

Kota was certain someday soon, he'd regret the day he let his mother invite C for the night. He didn't even think he enjoyed much of his dinner, considering he was busy keeping an eye and an ear on the pale girl's actions and words. "C," he sighed. "... or should I call you Chotte?" They sat on opposite ends of his bed, the teal-haired girl kicking her legs and humming to herself.

C turned to his direction, lips curved up to a sly smile. "Only if I get to call you 'dear'." The very moment the last word crept out of the girl's lips, Kota felt tingles run up his spine. "So, what is it?"

Another sigh escaped the young redhead. "All the things you've said about... about yourself. They are not made up, that much I can tell."

"How do you know I didn't just spout random crap?"

He lifted his gaze towards the other, whose cheeks are puffed out slightly. "Because you are a terrible liar, C."

"Am not."

In response, the gunner rolled his eyes. "You did fool Nozomi, but Mom noticed it. Pft, barely changing 'gross' to 'great' during dinner." A stifled chuckle then emanated from the young God Eater, even more so when the other quickly pulled back her gaze.

"I-I did no such thing."

"C, nobody is going to judge you if you don't like my mom's cooking, but this is a mother's cooking that we're talking about! How come you don't like it?" He knew C is weird in more than one way, but with all this more human-like behavior she'd been displaying, there might be some answers other than her being a monster.

"Well, it doesn't taste good!" The girl then admitted, crossing her arms much like a child forced to give an answer. "Alisa's cooking has a much richer flavor than anyone else's. Sakuya's _flan_? Blech! I wanted to throw up!"

Kota's laughter vanished in thin air and he had to take a second to breathe. "Alisa does not cook."

"You are just jealous of her glorious talent."

He pressed a hand over his forehead, but refuses to admit defeat. "The last time she cooked, Soma was knocked out for days. Soma, of all people!"

"Yeah!" Her lips twisted to a grin. "And Sunshine went hysterical because she thought he was dead. Oh, and most of the staff was down for weeks too. Ah, fun times."

Indeed, the memory was one to remember. Up to this point, Kota still couldn't believe that Soma—the person who had survived the toughest battles and was given the name Death God—was struck down easily by Alisa's cooking. He didn't want to accept the Russian's gift in the first place, but after he and Yuka argued for solid ten minutes—in full German, he might add—Soma eventually lost to all the things she had said and half-heartedly accepted the _borscht._

It was from that day that they agreed to put Sakuya in-charge of any kind of cooking activity for the First Unit.

Kota had to stop before he bursts into a fit of laughter. "How can you eat that in the first place?" He didn't get a chance to give it a try, and boy, he was glad for that. Everything that transpired that day was enough to tell him that he should be thankful he wasn't in Soma's shoes.

C scratched her head. "Eh, I'm insane."

"That answer... works surprisingly well. So, how long do you plan on staying?" Not that he minds having C over, it's just that he DOES mind having the Devil over.

"Until the Arda passes overhead."

That answer has just formulated a bunch more questions inside his head, but Kota decided to leave them all for later and instead ask the most important one of all, "And why my room?"

"Well, it doesn't look like you have any guestroom available. Your sister and your mother share the bed in the other room, right? And you're kind enough to not let poor me sleep by myself in the living room. Besides, how can I pass up the opportunity to sleep with you?"

He frowned. "You're doing it again."

"Showing my affection?"

"Trying to cover for something," Kota answered, crossing his legs over his bed and resting an elbow on one of them so that he can rest his cheek on his hand. "C, is there something troubling you?"

The pale girl shrugged slightly, crawling over to one side of the bed now. "I'm worried I might end up raping you... or feed you some potent aphrodisiac here. Heh, it's proven pretty effective. Oh, but—" C caught herself, frowning. "You're a minor! It's not fair! Yuka can do whatever the hell she wants with Soma just because they're both on legal age!"

"... Uhm, what...?"

"Eh, I'm not surprised you don't know. Just keep in mind that not every weird sound at night are from ghosts." She snickered, rolling over to now face him. Kota was still sitting on the edge of the bed, blocking her view of some kind of poster pinned on the wall.

"C..." The redhead then turned and lied down by her side, hands under his head. He sighed, eyes drifting close for a moment. "Why are you pretending to be something you aren't?"

"Come again? I know I can't pull a 'Kota' as apt as you do, but I believe you got me pretty lost there."

Another sigh escaped the gunner's lips, as he watched the other from the corner of his eyes. "You're doing it again. Look, when Nozomi took you to her room, you... you showed a side I haven't seen before. You had a great time, I could tell, and also, you... you looked like you were longing for something." Kota might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, and he'd admit his insensitiveness during that one time with Yuka, Shio and Soma, but it doesn't mean he's as stupid as Alisa thinks he is. He can read the atmosphere; it's just more often than not, his mouth reacts before his brain.

C appeared to be caught off-guard by the younger male's statement that she rolled over to her other side, curling up against the wall. "Oh. I was just..."

"Are you going to lie your way out of my questions again?"

It was after a short moment that the information broker finally sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'm really just..." She sighed once more, pulling herself closer to the wall. "... I'm just tired."

At this point, Kota craned his neck to the other's direction, voice laced with a tiny bit of confusion. "Tired?"

"... and afraid." Another sigh. "Being a Nova is... It's not as easy as it sounds. It comes with consequences. Every action has a reaction, regardless if you're aware of it or not."

"Isn't that the same for everyone?"

"The same..." The words rolled off her tongue alongside a crazy cackle. She had already figured out that Kota was, at the very least, trying to comfort her, but his ignorance of the things and his endless optimism just blinds him on how rotten the world really is. He has very little understanding of her world—of her hell. "I freak out an Ouroboros—" She began, and it was the first time Kota recognized hurt in her voice. C was trying to mask it by nonchalantly discussing the topic, but it was there, he knew. "—without even trying. Can you imagine what would happen if my attention is to falter in the middle of a human settlement? Can you imagine what would happen if I were to lose control over my power? Do you think it's funny to be called Dementia and for a good fucking reason?!" For a moment, he argued whether to throw his arms around the girl for a hug, but as he was internally debating, her words struck again. C was still trying to laugh the whole thing off, but he could see how her shoulders shook. "I break minds! How can I not be fed up with it?! And—and to add some toppings in this sickening sweet cake, I'm... I'm losing my humanity... The very little that I still have left."

"... C."

"Yuka ended up like that because she lost control over her own power," the pale girl continued. "I would turn into a maniac who finds interest in tormenting the minds of all living things! How can I not be tired of that crap?!"

Under normal circumstances, he would have hugged her, but Kota doubted C would appreciate the affection. Ah, maybe she would, only to embarrass him the moment after. "Why didn't you tell us?" He then asked.

"Like it should fucking matter."

"Then why are you telling me?"

"I'm just..." A sigh. "I'm just really tired."

He was not convinced. "There has to be a reason why you came to me, other than that sick joke you're pulling."

C fell silent once more, but Kota doubted she fell asleep. His eyes were threatening to close when the information broker's voice filled the air once again. "I don't understand your bottomless faith in the human race. They aren't afraid to destroy each other or themselves. They all keep their own inner demons." His mouth fell agape, admittedly falling back at the other's words. "You don't know how many sins I've seen the humans commit. Heh, but knowing it might just drive you insane."

He frowned. "You're saying as if it is wrong to trust."

"Blind faith," the girl corrected.

"If you can't trust yourself, then there's no one else you can."

In response, the girl sneered, taking what the boy had said as nothing but a joke. "I am a megalomaniac monster. Of course putting trust on myself is the best thing I could do."

"You know well what I meant."

"That's the very source of my intrigue towards you," she mumbled. "I don't—"

"C?"

"Can we just sleep instead? I'm genuinely tired and in need of some rest."

The redhead shuffled in his spot. "You're not going to pull any strange ideas, are you?"

C snickered again. "I'm letting you rape me if you want."

"C!"

"Okay, okay," she laughed. "It was worth a try though. At least I'm not being beaten up like Sunshine. But I suppose hearing about her lousy attempts to get in Moon kin's pants doesn't surprise you, no?"

He decided to rather hear the stories on some other day. Instead of answering her question, Kota grabbed the blanket. "Just stay on your half of the bed and sleep." He pulled it up to their shoulders and mumbled a quick good night. It hadn't been a long while after that when he sighed, eyes drifting close. "Hey, C?" He called out softly.

"Yeah?"

"You're not half-bad, I suppose."

Everything she had told him was nowhere near good, but Kota, strangely, felt nice. C never opened up to any of them, but she just did, to him of all people. It was amazing to discover the girl's human side; regardless of how little it is now as it continues to erode away. Perhaps, if the circumstances had been different, they would be really cool friends. Maybe they could pull pranks on the others, or talk over the latest episodes of Bugarally from sunrise to sunset.

Maybe Kota wouldn't settle with just the words 'not half-bad'.

He still didn't know what is it that C—Chotte is longing for, but if being around a family makes her feel more human, then he should at least reconsider the option of opening their doors for her.

After all, she still hasn't completely lost her humanity, has she?

He fell asleep, smiling.

And it was nice to get some good rest after everything that had happened. When he woke up, Chotte was already gone from the bed, and there were noises coming from outside of his room. Rubbing sleep off his eyes, Kota got up, pulling down his shirt that had hiked halfway up his torso. He opened the door just in time to see his mother hand a piece of paper to Chotte. "What's that?" He immediately asked, intrigued.

"An adorable photo I took of you two sleeping together."

The moment the words clicked in his senses, the young redhead scampered out of his room and snatched said photo from the pale girl's hands. His eyes widened and he snapped at the other, "Chotte! I told you to stay on your side of the bed!" He looked back at the photo, and Kota couldn't feel any more embarrassed.

"If you take a closer look, you'll see that you're the one who crept onto my side and hugged me!"

He examined the picture once more, and indeed, she had not moved an inch from where she was lying, only turning around to face him. Him, on the other hand, was not only captured with his mouth wide open, but also with his arms thrown around the pale girl, and one leg over the other's body.

His mother chuckled. "Well, there was no harm done, was there?"

"Mom!" The male redhead groaned out. "It's embarrassing—hey!" The information broker had snatched the photo from his hands and was grinning wide. "Don't give that to her! She'll use it to blackmail me! Mom!"

"Nozomi," C then said, smiling now at his younger sister, "Auntie—" She calls her 'Auntie' now?! "I'll drop by sometime again surely, and Kota..." The girl walked over to the boy who had his cheeks in a pout and his arms crossed. Before the other could make any kind of reaction, she leaned closer and quickly pecked his cheek with a light kiss, causing the said gunner to turn beet red in an instant. "Thanks for last night." She leaned even closer to whisper. "Perhaps if I weren't the monster that I am, I would have fallen for you already."

* * *

The new God Arc felt... indifferent.

He thought there would at least be something unique about it, but when he held it in his hand, it was... normal. It felt the same as the first time he held Rebellion. Maybe it was because this God Arc was made to match his Bias specifically, and so, it should feel normal.

Even as he slashed through the Fierce Kongou's arm, it was normal. There was no surge of power, or some kind of super strength. He just cut through the Aragami with ease, as he had always done. Maybe he just expected a little too much from a weapon that was already so much trouble to construct. Lenka should at least be grateful instead, and consider the amount of work Licca and Yuka placed in his new equipment.

Although, he wished to question his blonde senior why, of all things, it is a shotgun. A single press on the trigger sent small Divine elemental shots spreading in the air. Apparently, this gun-type has a unique bullet used too—according to Alisa, they’re called 'Buckshot'—and it is light in comparison to his blast gun but— "Dammit, I'm too far!" —its firing range is actually pretty short.

Honestly speaking, he isn't used to this. Especially if the recent God Arc he used could fire a laser beam that blasts Vajras even from an unimaginable distance.

When another attempt on getting a grasp of his new gun failed, the raven-haired captain decided he could leave the ranged assault to Sakuya, Alisa and Shio instead. The God Arc switched to its long blade, a weapon type he knows better than others.

He cut through the beast's legs just as it was to perform a spinning attack, effectively causing the Aragami to stagger. Shio took the opportunity to take a leap and thrust her own weapon into the enemy's face before landing back down on the ground. He wasn't one to be left behind, so Lenka spammed the arms and legs with a couple more slashes until the Oracle Cells were unbound.

The Fierce Kongou recovered easily though and smacked him in the face with its fist. He stumbled backwards under such force and looked back at the Aragami, only to find it generating a huge ball of electricity around itself.

A few seconds later and it had blasted the area around it, sending both Shio and Alisa crashing on the ground.

Before it could land another hit on them, he rushed forward, landing two more slashes on its legs and forcing it down on the ground. Alisa moved for a devour, and Sakuya's piercing bullet finally broke the Oracle Cells binding the Fierce Kongou’s plume.

At some point, they managed to unbind the face too, and afterwards, the Aragami was a quick work.

"It really is something," Sakuya sighed softly, eyes wandering towards the view in the horizon. "Aegis Island. The key to the project and mankind’s last hope of survival. We can finally be safe there."

_"Bullshit crap... The Aegis Project. Do you think otherwise, Lenka?"_

What did she mean by that?

Alisa craned her neck to the direction where Shio was. "Shio, are you alright?" The Russian female asked. The Aragami girl did not respond to the call of her name and instead continued to walk towards the end of the carrier, overlooking the massive dome. Her golden yellow eyes remained fixed at the structure for a few moments, shortly before strange markings glowed all over her stark white skin. "What is that?" The female New-Type gasped. "Are you okay?!"

The glowing marks on the girl's skin began to fluctuate. It was odd, and they were all frozen in shock. It was an entirely new reaction Dr. Sakaki never oriented them about.

"… It's calling me," the Aragami girl said softly, staring intently at the horizon, as she would to every savory meal they encounter in the field. She turned back to them, but the expression on her face faltered not at the slightest. "It's singing to me." Huh, what is? "… Hungry. Must feed. Must devour." Even her voice had begun to change, as if two were speaking at once. "Such wondrous food."

None of them were able to do anything when she just jumped off the edge of the carrier, plunging herself into the ocean. "Lenka! We have to find her!" Alisa insisted.

"We have to get back and report to Dr. Sakaki," he replied. "We don't know what's out there or what's happening to her!"

And that's what they did.

Apparently, the doctor was pretty calm about it. In fact, he didn't issue an immediate search, though Lenka understood why. With the Director around the branch, they can't make any rash decisions. Shio is an Aragami that had survived this long without them. Surely, she can handle herself out there more than anybody else in the First Unit can.

Still, why did she react like that towards Aegis? They've always brought her in the carrier in the past, but she never acted like that. And what was _singing_ to her? What was it that has the urgent need to devour?

He emerged to the training area with a small sigh. No longer than a few minutes did the simulation began, changing his environment into a barren wasteland littered with small packs of Ogretails. He swept through one in a flash, driving his red and black sword across its body, before punching holes to another's skull with a shot from his gun. The more he dove into the fight, the greater number of Aragamis he attracts in the simulation. When he had taken down seven or eight Ogretails, there was already a Gboro-gboro and a Kongou not too far away.

He cleared his path of smaller Aragamis, finding much more comfort in using his blade, and trekked the path towards the clueless Gboro-gboro, before running his predator right through its scaled body. The Aragami roared in pain, but before he could drive another slash across its body, the figure disintegrated into thin air, and so did everything around him. "Utsugi Lenka." It was the voice of Major Tsubaki Amamiya coming from the viewing window up above. "The Branch Director has asked you to come see him."

"... The Director?"

He didn't know why and he sure hoped this isn't about Shio. Pulling another sigh from his chest, he stepped in through the door. Director Johannes von Schicksal sat behind his desk, as if he was expecting his arrival—well, he _is_ expecting his arrival. "You've done me proud," the older man began with a small, proud smile. "And I have another assignment here that I mean for you."

His throat tightened, as he watched keenly for the man's expressions.

"I charge you with this mission, to be given highest priority and executed in secrecy." A special mission then. Lenka swallowed. Special missions are no joke, to be honest. The last time, he was sent to eliminate an Ouroboros without the knowledge of the rest of the team. He understood very well why only Soma and Yuka received those kind of assignments. But if he is to be tasked to hunt another powerful Aragami, then... "A unique Aragami was detected off the coast of Aegis Island." He froze. "All scouts indicate that it should still be near the Pacific shallows." _Shio. It could only be Shio._ "Hunt down this Aragami, but be wary, it possesses a unique and dangerous intelligence. When you do find this creature..." The Director's stern gaze met his, and Lenka feared he might be able to read the thoughts rampaging in his head. "... You are to execute it and extract the core immediately. Ensure that the core is intact. Then, bring it back here to me."

He can't do that! There's a high possibility that this Aragami is Shio, and there is no way he will do that to her!

"I don't need to tell you how important this is," the blond man continued. "It could very well be the key to our survival." Still... This is... a pretty tall order. "I suppose it will be difficult to hunt down one unique Aragami all on your own, so I'll be tasking Soma to go with you for the search. I would have Yuka to come along with you, but I have heard of what happened during the Meteorite Operation from Paylor. Truly, it must have been a... horrible experience for all of you. But, that is all. Continue to serve me well. Godspeed."

* * *

"I'm sure you've already figured out that riddle..." Soma began as soon as they touched down on the carrier. "You know who my father wants us to find out here. The unique Aragami."

He allowed his gaze to drift away from the dark-skinned God Eater, to the derelict spread out before their eyes. There was movement in the far end of the carrier. "He wants us to hunt Shio, doesn't he? An Aragami with a unique intelligence—it could only be her, right?"

A small smirk crossed the older male's lips. "All my life I've let him send me on these missions. Search and destroy. Hunt and kill. Heck, even Yuka was dragged in this mess in such a short time that she stayed in this stupid place. But I'm sure she had it figured out. That smartass must have known that Shio is the Singularity." ... Singularity?

_"But to restart this godforsaken world, you should know that it would require the Singularity."_

_"You wanted to create an artificial one, as there is no assurance that a being such as the Singularity exists."_

_Could it be...? No way._

_"Pick me instead."_

"But there is no way in hell that I will hand Shio over to that bastard," Soma continued. "He will not lay a finger on her." Lenka could have said the same thing, but if the Director needs the Singularity and he wouldn't be able to get one in his hands, then... "I don't want you to mistake this anger. I hate the way he manipulates us, the way he pulls strings like we're his damned toys."

But...

He felt his fingers shake that he had to readjust his grip on his own weapon. The other male's blue eyes darted away from him and instead to his quivering hands. "Sick God Arc."

A small chuckle escaped his lips—a way to clear his head of nervousness and get the fearsome thoughts out of his head. "Yuka-san... Yuka-san designed it."

Soma appeared to be surprised at the words that escaped his lips. "That woman still has a lot of surprises under her sleeve, huh?" He mumbled, eyeing the length of the weapon from base to tip. There was now a hint of worry that glazed his eyes, lips pursed to a slight frown.

He should tell him.

Even if one or both of them get mad, he should tell him.

Lenka swallowed. "Soma-san... I think you should know—"

"Are you nervous?" The other male then asked, catching his leader by surprise. "Well, I think you have all the reason to be. They did say there was a Deusphage hanging around here—a Tezcatlipoca. Yuka and I... fought one before." His frown deepened at the memory, and his irritation became visible at the sight of him narrowing his eyes. "But Shio's around here. I know that much for sure. We just have to stay close and sharp. Those feral running around wouldn't stop me from bringing her back home."

The raven-haired God Eater watched as the massive tank Aragami thundered across the carrier, took a quick look around, before jumping off to the other side and disappearing from their sight. "Still, it would be better to not engage it at all." The fight against the Dyaus Pita hadn't been very long. With just the two of them, and even with his new God Arc, he doubted they would stand a chance against another Deusphage. "Let's just keep low and try not to attract its attention."

"If that's how you want it, Captain. But if worse comes to worst, don't pull any kind of dumb shit."

They shared a smirk. "Same goes for you then, Soma."

But as they traversed the entirety of the carrier, Lenka couldn't help but get worried. Even if Soma refuses to hand the Singularity to his father, he doesn't know he had created an artificial one in case this kind of situation arises. It's either one or the other. Not just for Soma, but for all of them. Will they even be allowed to choose? No, he doesn't want to choose. He doubted anybody else will.

The two God Eaters had barely crossed the area when Lenka decided to speak, swallowing the lump forming in his throat. "Hey, Soma..." He called out, trying his utmost best to sound as casual as he could. "If you're going to choose..." The other male visibly flinched at the last word, but he decided to instead shrug it off rather than question. "... between Yuka-san and Shio..."

"What kind of question is that, Captain?" His mood had noticeably turned sour as he hissed, glaring at him. Though the glare was only momentary as he quickly averted his gaze. "I'm not going to choose one over the other."

"But if you have to—"

"I still won't."

"If you have no other option but choose one—"

"I said I won't!" The older male growled.

He expected that response to at least startle the younger male, but Lenka's austere gaze didn't even falter. It was almost as if he needed the answer immediately. Why? Does somebody's life depend on whatever his fucking choice might be? What is with this sudden stupid question anyway? Why is Utsugi so insistent in the question?

_"You can't save everybody... and I'm sure you wouldn't be picking me anyway."_

When he first lost Yuka, he was being made to choose—to participate in that stupid clean-up mission in Russia or not. Soma remembered he chose not to, and the whole Borg Camlann fiasco forced him to reconsider his answer. During the Moon in the Welkin, he decided to heed the orders given and fled, and they never saw Lindow again.

He isn't going to choose, because his choices had always led to someone dying.

"But Soma—"

"Let's just go and get Shio before that Deusphage crawls back here." He was already a few steps ahead of his captain when he stopped. ".. And don't ask any more stupid questions, Utsugi."

Even if he says he wouldn't choose, someone else would definitely decide for him. But instead of voicing out more of his concern and further instigating the other's anger, Lenka simply sighed and followed. He should at least try again when he's calmer—there are a little too much at risk to simply brush this topic off.

It's one or the other.

Yuka or Shio.

Can they not choose like Soma just did?

They closed in to the end of the carrier, overlooking Aegis Island. The Tezcatlipoca appeared to still have not noticed them. Either it really had not, or it recognizes Shio's presence around the area that it refuses to cause any kind of mayhem. Shortly after, a soft tune filled the air and Soma immediately perked up, searching for the source. They both came to a stop, gazes travelling towards every direction.

Shio was seated atop a piled chunk of debris, singing to herself the song she and Soma heard together. The foot of her very throne was littered with a pack of dead Ogretails. The two God Eaters watched her in silence, until the Aragami girl came to a stop. "Oh... What... What is this song?" She mumbled. "I don't like it... I don't like it!"

"It's..." The dark-skinned God Eater sighed as he began. "... a song of parting. That's the reason it makes you afraid." He had always heard Yuka sing the very same song, but Soma never felt as much fear as his chest carries now.

"I don't want to go! I don't!" The girl whimpered.

"The words are sad," he answered in return, eyes travelling away from the Aragami girl and towards the pile of carcass. "They're singing about loss, about never seeing the one you love again..." He didn't understand the now heavy feeling in his chest. He had heard that sing since he was a child. Why does it seem to have a deeper meaning now?

_... About never seeing the one you love again._

Shio looked down on him. "But..." She then wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "But we did see each other again. You're right there."

_"If you're going to choose between Yuka-san and Shio..."_

"Because we're different than the song. We came looking."

_"Soma will always-always-aaalways come looking for me! I'm not afraid to get lost! Soma will know where to find me!"_

_... But it's an entirely different story if you decide to leave, idiot. Don't go to places I can't go to just yet._

As he was too engrossed in the thoughts in his head, Lenka spoke up, "Let's go home, Shio," to which the pale girl replied a cheerful 'Okay!' He then shifted his gaze towards the older male. "Soma, there's really something you should know about Yuka-san. She's—"

Shio's groans of pain cut off the leader's statement before he could even start, and they hurriedly whipped their heads towards the girl's direction. She was quivering and shaking, strange markings all over making nearly her entire body glow in bright blue. "It's happening again!" The raven-haired captain said. Shio's reacting weirdly again!

"What the hell is going on?!" Soma growled in panic. "Shio!"

She stood up, walking towards the end of the carrier again. "I must go..." She then said, her voice once more sounding like they were two instead of one. "I am called..." Called by what? By whom? What the hell is in Aegis?!

"Come back here! Shio, come back!"

The pale girl stared down at the pair without any other word, and fainted.

"Dammit! This makes no sense. We gotta get her back to the Den, now!"

First, Yuka, and now, Shio?! What the hell is going on here?!

* * *

 _Well, well, well. Aren't we a precious little angel?_ C gritted her teeth as she shut the thought from her mind. She gently closed the door behind her and began to walk back to the Den. _I think you won his heart,_ the sickening voice in her head continued, slender yet unseen fingers threading through teal strands of hair. _Isn't fate cruel, little one?_

"Shut up." The growl came low from her own throat. "Shut. The fuck. Up."

Regardless of her words, the voice didn't stop. She was all by herself, and yet she felt as though it did have fingers that now gently caressed her jawline. _Aw,_ it cooed. _You should be more careful._ The words came like a whisper from the chill wind, sending weird shudders up her spine. It shouldn't be like this. But it had been this way for so long. She doesn't have a choice. _When they see you talking to yourself, they'll think you went insane._ A deafening cackle filled the every space of her mind, and the pale girl fought hard to keep herself from pressing her hands over her ears.

It wouldn't do her any good anyway.

"What the hell do you want now, dammit?!" The girl finally hissed.

The imaginary fingers now traced a line down her spine, and C didn't understand how hard it is for her to simply wave the feeling off when she knows well it's just her imagination. _You know exactly what it is, don't you?_ The voice was grating on her already strained nerves. _You will snap eventually, and when you do—_

She casted a glance back at the quaint little house amidst the others. It had nothing special and was nowhere near different from the rest, but before C even realized it, she was already giving it a lasting gaze. The information broker frowned, turning away. "Fuck off," she then told the mad voice lingering inside her head.

At the very least, Kota and his family would be safe.


	52. Fake Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She told me once that Aegis is nothing but a bullshit crap," the captain explained. "That just means she knew what was going on, right? Or at least—at least the idea that Aegis had been a lie all along!"
> 
> There was no point in crushing their hopes that early. Even if Yuka did knew, if she had told them, would they have believed her? And if they had believed her, what would they have done? Investigate? Infiltrate Aegis? It would be as good as being dead. Sakuya and Alisa are just lucky to escape the clutches of that beast. They might not be lucky again next time, even if it's all of them as a team. "Tch, to maul over that is pointless. Whether she knew or not is not what matters here. It's what you choose that matters. And make sure you won't be regretting whatever the hell you pick. I've already made up my mind."

There was no progress. No progress at all. The Den is moving at a _really_ slow pace. Shio was safely retrieved and was back to normal, although, every time the reaction would occur again, the doctor would simply feed her to temporary satisfy her growing hunger. Soma had holed himself up in Yuka's room, and C didn't understand what the hell would he be doing with her, who had done nothing much but stare blankly at Aegis from the window of her room.

It had been pretty quiet since she left the Outer Ghetto, and she's somewhere in between nervous and relieved. The pale girl frowned again, stepping out of the elevator. She passed by Kota's locked door as she hummed, arriving before a familiar room. One hand behind her and feet on tippy-toes, C knocked.

"Coming!" A faint voice resonated from inside the room and it wasn't very long before the door slid open, revealing before the information broker the sight of a certain Russian God Eater. Surprisingly, Alisa wasn't in any of her flashy clothes. Instead, she was dressed in a comfortable-looking white tee shirt with a sunflower print on the bottom right corner, matching with a pair of denim shorts. Her silver hair was hiked up to a side ponytail. "C..." She sounded rather perturbed at the presence of the guest before her. "Can I... help you?"

The information broker invited herself in. "Yeah. Well, you could make me something to eat." One quick look around and she found a few other girls present in the room, staring at her in surprise. They were all dressed rather casually, some even holding onto cooking utensils. "Did I come at a wrong time?"

"No, not really." It was Sakuya who first recovered from the shock. She was wearing a white camisole which contrasted the unzipped black shirt over it, which surely was a property of their late unit leader. Lindow's shirt had its sleeves rolled up near the sniper's elbow, and it was long enough to nearly cover the shorts she was wearing. "We just decided that with so much stressful events going on, we could use some break and spend time for ourselves."

Kanon was just tying the knot of her pastel yellow apron. She was wearing an oversized green shirt and black leggings, a ladle in her hand. "We're starting off the R&R by teaching Alisa how to cook." When Alisa coughed into her hands from the words she had just said, it was the reckless medic that rolled her eyes with a small teasing smile. "Properly, that is."

"No!" The pale girl cried out, uncharacteristically dramatic. "Are you all mad?!"

"Stop the over-dramatization," Licca shrugged, sighing at the reaction of the informant who had collapsed on the floor. The mechanic was still dressed in her grey tank top, though had ditched her baggy pants for a pair of trousers. "Alisa wants to learn how to cook properly."

"I can cook properly," the Russian declared, arms crossed over her chest. "In fact, when I made C and _sestra_ some _pirozhki_ , they said it was _vkusno_ —delicious."

"Still, it wouldn't be a very bad idea if we help, right?" Hibari asked from where she sat on the couch. The operator was wearing an orange shirt that was a little too loose to be hers (Tatsumi's, maybe?) and a pair of jeans that cut just below her knee. Kanon nodded in affirmation. "See? No harm done."

To show her disagreement to their decision, the pale girl decided to roll across the floor while crying out her complains. When she came to a stop, she was pumping her fists against the floor. "Then what am I supposed to eat?! She's talented! Gloriously talented! Don't take it away!"

"Don't make so much of a fuss like it's the end of the world," Licca said. "Why would you eat Alisa's cooking anyway?" Upon the raising of the question, both the silver-haired female and the pale girl displayed an affronted look.

Alisa huffed. "At least she likes my cooking! Even if it's only here. For your information, she comes to eat with me regularly."

Everyone else present in the room stared at C, who stared back at them with a pout. "You, you, you and you—" She pointed accusingly at the rest of the girls. "You're all jealous of perfection! None of you can achieve her godly level of culinary skill! So, now you plan to erase it—take it away! She's the Eighth Wonder of the Culinary World!"

"Uhm..." Kanon began hesitantly. "C, just... out of curiosity, how much of her... cooking have you eaten?"

The informant snorted behind her hand and then proudly declared, Ever since the day she transferred here! I even helped her maximize her level of food handling."

"You WHAT?!" The question rang a little too loud in the room, and Sakuya almost poured all of the potatoes into the pot of soup.

"No need to thank me," C grinned, plopping down on the seat next to the redhead operator. "I just did what the world wills."

* * *

None of the girls was still able to believe even if they saw it with their own eyes. C downed the very last drop of Alisa's _borscht_ —Licca calls it 'monster soup'—until the bowl was empty. The pale girl was wearing a big grin of utmost satisfaction, licking her lips just before she turned to the women now gathered on the couch. "Hibari and Sakuya are off-limits—" They blinked in confusion at what she meant by 'off-limits' while C turned towards the direction where Alisa, Kanon and Licca sat together. "But you two are just fine." Both flinched, unsure of what the girl was planning. "So, Licca, do you have a crush on someone?"

 _I know you want to cause mayhem. After all, you are I,_ the voice rose again in a tone like that of a purr. Its imaginary fingers were now caressing the mask hidden under her hair and hood. _They might not see me nor hear me, but you are my voice. I am your will, and tell me, little one, how many times did you give into my temptations?_

Surprised at the topic, the mechanic glanced at the others, her face reddening. "W-Well..." Everyone held a look of confusion a moment ago, but now they looked back at her with curious eyes. "I... might?" The rest of the women peered closer, bodies leaning forward slightly to show their obvious interest.

 _Fucking shut up already,_ thought C as she grinned, "Aw. Who is it?" _I have enough of you._

At the question, the other's face grew even redder, drawing out rosy colorations on her cheek. There was the visible hesitation in her eyes, but and Alisa frowned at the teal-haired girl, "C, you plan on causing trouble again, don't you?"

 _But you felt great, didn't you?_ It asked, and the girl visibly flinched, both at its and Alisa's question. _Feigning sleep and feeling goddamn great as that retarded boy hugged you._ Once more, it was grating on her nerves and C could only sigh.

 _Does it matter to you?_ She finally asked, clear to her that she's simply questioning herself like the insane being she is.

 _IT DOES!_ The mad voice roared, the rumbling sound filling her ears and mind. _BREAK THEM, NOT COMFORT!_

 _Hush now,_ C thought and said at the same time. "Licca, please answer."

_You do not realize that this... 'tranquility' you are thinking—no, deluding yourself into will only be your downfall._

"It's... It's B-Brendan," she finally answered, not meeting their eyes.

Kanon gasped, "Really? That's a surprise. Brendan isn't a man of much talk."

"He isn't," Licca replied, "but he does work with machines pretty well. He said he had an older brother who was part of the engineering staff before he became a God Eater, so he knows his way around parts and scraps."

"Wow..." The blast gun user sighed. "He never told us about that. But maybe it's just me because he and Tatsumi are really tight—like they share some kind of brothers' code or something. You know, there are times I catch them talking about stuff but when I ask, they keep saying that it's nothing." She crossed her arms and pouted slightly, before adding up in a mumble, "'Bros before hoes.'"

This time, C's grin focused on Kanon. "You're turn."

"M-Me?" She immediately grew flustered, her ears turning a faint red. "But I d-don't—"

"It's just a crush," the teal-haired girl replied nonchalantly. "It can't be that hard to tell. Besides, having a crush is a pretty normal thing, isn't it?" Still, the other didn't appear convinced. "Fine," C then said, "I'll tell mine if you tell yours." They fell in surprise at the Devil's offer, simply because it is as unbelievable as it is. C's understanding of feelings and human emotions isn't that much, so the idea that she harbors a crush to someone sounded like some kind of impossible thing.

Hibari took a sip of her iced tea. "You have one, C?"

"Of course, I do," she answered in return. "Now, will you say who, Kanon?"

The pink-haired girl bit her lip and fiddled with her fingers. She was growing redder by the minute, as C continued to press for an answer. Finally, under everybody's curious gaze, Kanon Daiba squeaked, "S-Soma!"

"Soma?"

Alisa reclined back to the couch, twirling hair on her finger. "I suppose, in _sestra_ 's standards, he is pretty good-looking." She then shrugged, as if trying to dismiss her own words entirely.

"Well, if you will be ranking the boys in terms of their looks, he surely won't be falling behind," Sakuya agreed with both a grin and a nod.

"Y-Yeah, but he is really amazing too," Kanon then said, the shyness from a while ago dissipating to thin air. "He is a blade-user, but his knowledge of gun-type God Arcs is unbelievable! I had help on some effective bullet modules and recipes, and he gave me some tips for use during battle. Although..." She scratched her head. "... I still keep getting yelled at."

Licca chuckled. "You and Yuka could probably sit all day and talk about Soma! Whenever she assists in the engineering department, he's all she ever talks about!"

Amidst the girls' laughter, C snickered, "Oh, please. If Sunshine finds out she's into her wolf dog too, Kanon would only have five seconds to live. She wanted to strangle me when I said I'd bang Soma in a heartbeat—she didn't say so, but I saw it in her eyes. You don't threaten to take the _everything_ of that woman. You just don't."

There was another round of laughter that bubbled up in the room at the sight of Kanon paling all of a sudden. "It-It is only a simple crush though," she then said, laughing sheepishly along with the others.

"So, C, who is yours?" Hibari finally asked, intrigued.

Without any kind of hesitation or second thought, C announced, "Kota."

The laughter died out, and Hibari nearly dropped her glass. The name of said gunner slipped her lips with surprising confidence that they found hard to believe. Kota? Really? "You can't be serious!" The Russian then exclaimed, and it was then that all eyes were on her.

"In your terms, I have a crush on him... I think."

"C, enough of your games," Alisa scowled, and just like that, the friendship built over free and 'delicious' food was destroyed by the name of a clueless redhead God Eater.

 _She took it better than expected,_ noted the voice, and C couldn't help but flinch. It was docile a while ago. Why did it decide to come up now that she's having a good time? _Now, let's add some spice._ Before she knew it, it was already digging deep into her consciousness, feeling helpless the moment she fell to its influence. "Games?" The words rolled off the informant's tongue. "You don't even like him. Why are you making a fuss over me liking Kota?"

"That is—" It was then that the silver-haired female recognized the questioning look of the rest, and she immediately averted her gaze. "—none of your business."

The Devil didn't stop and snorted. "Unlike you, Haughty Little Princess, I at least bother to meet his family—to understand him better. What did you even do for him? Other than exposing those underboobs for him to fawn over you?"

"Exp—!" All the blood in her body rushed up and lit her face in a bright red color. "C! That's far enough!"

"You've met his family?" Sakuya then decided to ask in an attempt to steer the conversation away from a budding quarrel. They gathered together to unwind, and this certainly isn't unwinding. In fact, this just brings back the stress.

The question brought a grin to the informant's face. "I even spent the night in his arms." She pulled out the photo from one of her pockets and proudly flashed it to them, earning gasps and looks of disbelief. "Out of his free will—no drugs involved."

"Drugs?" Alisa's glares were sharp. "Are you enjoying this? Playing around to see what out reactions would be?"

C shrugged. "I'm just honest with myself, unlike a certain Russian here amidst us. I think I like Kota," she said, "so why can't I show him some affection?"

"Your affection?" Spat the other. "If by that you mean thrusting an entire tube of bias ampule to someone's chest—like you did with _sestra_ —then forget it."

"Are you upset that I might turn Kota away from you; that this will break the triangle and form a genuine relationship? Are you upset that it would end up with no one being interested with you?"

" _Dostatochno_!"

"C, you're going overboard," Licca then said amidst the exchange.

"Overboard?" The girl questioned. "What's wrong with being honest with myself? Unlike all of you, I don't have the choice of freedom."

"He's not an idiot," Alisa finally said after having calmed down from her outburst. "He'll understand that you're just playing with him!"

C was quick to shoot a reply back. "Like you do?" When her reply took the Russian God Eater aback that it silenced her, the teal-haired girl continued, "Then let me do as I please. Are you afraid he'd choose me over you?"

This time, it was Hibari who tried to quell the fight. Unfortunately, her plea fell to deaf ears, although their voices lowered and no more shouts filled the air of the room. "That's impossible," is what Alisa resorted to as she slumped back down on her seat.

"Little Alyssum," the pale girl began, a smirk creeping up her face at the sight of said female suddenly growing tense. Even in an unstable state of mind and a bunch of hazy memories, apparently, the name was etched deep into the other's brain. "Tell you what, if I win his heart, I'll tell you the reason why your parents had to die."

"You.. what?!"

"So, is it a bet?"

"Bet," the female spat the word sourly again. "This just shows how much you think of Kota—as a toy for your plays; something to bet on."

"I'm betting on you, not on Kota. Don't get your ideas mixed up."

"A monster like you will never win him over."

The air around them was tense and after Alisa, no one else had really said a word. More like, none of them were sure of what to say to rekindle the two's strange friendship. Finally, a _ping!_ from Hibari's tablet distracted them from the events that transpired recently, and the operator promptly took the gadget. Everyone waited curiously for what she has to say. "Oh, my..."

The Russian's expression softened slightly as she unfolded her arms from being crossed over her chest. "Is.. Is something wrong?"

"Major Amamiya wants me back at my station, unfortunately," the redhead answered, surprisingly calm. "Soma and Lenka are out in the field and according to the Major, by the looks of things, it might just be a little too difficult to handle for the younger operators."

"Are they in need of back-up?" The sniper asked quickly.

"She didn't say so, but I'll be sure to call for you if the situation calls for it." With that, she gave them a polite farewell and hurried out of the room.

Sakuya sighed. "I hope they aren't having another misunderstanding again. There is still a side of Soma that doesn't like being bossed around, and Lenka could be too insistent at times. But I couldn't blame them if it's stress getting into their nerves. I suppose... They kind of feel responsible for the... aftermath of the battle against the Pita—Soma, especially." Well, they all do, but the two males had been shouldering so much of the burden, especially after everything C had revealed. If anything, Soma might still feel a little angry at their captain for keeping his knowledge from all of them. Another sigh, and she stood up. "I think I'm going for a rest now. Maybe prep up if the boys would need a back-up."

"I'll get back to my team now too," Kanon then said. "Thank you for the time."

"Guess I'll take off as well," Licca said.

It was only C who did not say a single word as she left.

* * *

Lenka couldn't believe the words he was hearing now.

Aegis Island, the paradise he—everyone—placed so much hope on, was a subterfuge? And here they are, fighting every battle, destroying every Aragami, gathering every core to aid in the completion of Aegis, only to know that said paradise is only an illusion? He felt like he is being made to stand on shards of broken glass of his faith and dreams.

And this Ark Project... is all what it really is?

He should have figured it all out sooner. The moment he learned of the Devouring Apocalypse, he should have at least pieced the information together. He should have paid much more attention.

The Director never aimed to create humanity's new Garden of Eden. It was only a cover he used for his Ark Project. His true goal was not to defend the human race from the Aragami, but to gather the best and leave the rest off to die. To him, it didn't sound right. Everyone deserved a chance to live.

He wishes to cleanse the world through his idea of flood. Who does he think he is—God?!

His hands were shaking and his throat ached, but despite that, Lenka forced himself to remain calm in front of the image of Sakuya and Alisa on the terminal screen. Soma and Kota were in his room: the former leaning by the bay window and the latter dejectedly seating on the couch. Apparently, the two women had snuck inside Aegis in an attempt to uncover what Lindow had not finished, only to discover the horrible truth. "So, that's the truth," the sniper continued. "The Aegis Project, the Ark... All of it. That sheet before you—" She was referring to a printed document they had Kota retrieve from her room a while ago. "—is the list of every eligible passenger approved to board the Ark. You will find each of your names on there. Anyone related up to the second degree can board that monstrosity and sail into safety. Of course, Alisa and I were struck from their number. We knew what would happen when we tried to infiltrate Aegis. If the Director's plans come to fruition, you'll be saved." She sighed, a small smile appearing on her lips. "And, in a way, that makes me happy."

Still, he thought it isn't fair. Sakuya and Alisa are part of the team—his team. It just wouldn't be right without them.

"But Alisa and I are fugitives now," the raven-haired woman continued. "Certainly as far as Fenrir and the branch are concerned."

Kota's voice was shaking when he finally spoke up, "A lie... It can't be a lie. We put so much... so much faith in this! Aegis was meant to protect us! It has to!" Lenka could only purse his lips at the despair brought by the news. Is there nothing they can do about this?

"I was never going to do what that tyrant commanded," Soma hissed. "Not like Yuka and I would be on that list. I'm half-Aragami, and she's..." There was strain in his voice, as he seemed to argue whether or not he should continue. "... changing." It finally rolled off his tongue with a tone of disdain, mouth twisting to a scowl and eyebrows furrowing angrily. At the sight of Soma's current expression, the argument during the mission earlier was an easy thing to remember. "They don't want us in their new world. There's no way they'd let us survive a day. Both of us are already impure, Yuka even more so."

"Your name is there, Soma," Sakuya replied calmly. "He is the Director, but he's still your father. I don't think he can stop loving you." There was a low grumble of 'Bullshit' from the male's direction, and the sniper could only sigh. "Even Yuka's name is written on that list." As though she was present in the room with them, Sakuya brought her attention back to the captain. "I just want to be clear. I refuse to let this Ark begin its voyage. I refuse."

Alisa came into view from the small window of the video, and the older female stepped aside slightly to give her room. "Me too! This isn't about lying or criminal charges or anything like that! This is just... wicked! We're going to stay hidden, stay underground as long as we can before we strike at Aegis again.

"We..." It was Sakuya once more. "... wanted you all to know. I won't force you into anything. I think you should make up your own minds. And even if you choose to join with Schicksal—" Soma audibly hissed at the name. "—even if you fight against us, you are still our friends."

"But if you get in our way, we will tear you apart!"

"Alisa!"

The Russian rolled her eyes. "Joking, joking... mostly. Still, I don't want to fight you, any of you. I hope you'll come to our side."

"We've been on too long already. We must disconnect. Think hard, and have no regrets."

The window closed on its own as soon as the video ended. Lenka's hands were still shaking, and the lump in his throat was still present. Soma began to take his leave, heavy footsteps filling the air, but before he could completely disappear, the raven-haired God Eater finally blurted out in a pained mumble, "Yuka-san... knew of this." The other male stopped abruptly in his tracks, and Kota lifted his head with a faint 'what'. Still unsure of what else he could do, Lenka turned away from the terminal and towards them. "Yuka-san... knew of this... probably."

And Soma was too tired to be angry. They lived the last months worrying only about what kind of Aragami will they be fighting next time. Everyone had been laughing, having a good time, enjoying the days while it lasted. But then, even happiness comes with a price, huh? Because now the Den has changed. The First Unit has changed. None of them was laughing anymore.

_"... To finish a project. A big one."_

No doubt. The bitch really might have known of it all along.

The real question is does 'finish' mean a good thing or a bad thing? Did she come here to aid the bastard's plan of purging the world? Or did it mean she will do everything she can to stop him? He didn't know, and he couldn't ask.

"She told me once that Aegis is nothing but a bullshit crap," the captain explained. "That just means she knew what was going on, right? Or at least—at least the idea that Aegis had been a lie all along!"

There was no point in crushing their hopes that early. Even if Yuka did knew, if she had told them, would they have believed her? And if they had believed her, what would they have done? Investigate? Infiltrate Aegis? It would be as good as being dead. Sakuya and Alisa are just lucky to escape the clutches of that beast. They might not be lucky again next time, even if it's all of them as a team. "Tch, to maul over that is pointless. Whether she knew or not is not what matters here. It's what you choose that matters. And make sure you won't be regretting whatever the hell you pick. I've already made up my mind."

* * *

"I'm coming!" Mrs. Fujiki placed the knife flat against the chopping board as she went to answer the door. She was taken by surprise upon seeing a figure she'd grown familiar to. "Chotte! What brings you here with all that...?" Her gaze traveled further downwards at the numerous bags the girl had in her hands. It didn't take long for her to recognize most of its contents, and golly, aren't those rare and expensive? "Let me help you, dear."

There was no hesitation in the younger's voice as she allowed the other to take the bags, marching into the house after her. "Thanks, Auntie. My hands were killing me."

The bags were then set on the small counter of the kitchen, the rest that did not fit being laid on the table. Mrs. Fujiki was wearing a frown on her face, watching as the younger female pulled a chair and sat down. "But, dear... Even with Kota getting a pretty high salary, we can't... I don't think we can pay for these." Chotte had began to unravel the bags and remove each item from inside. They weren't rations as she initially thought they were, but rather, genuine products—high quality products that are only given by Fenrir for an equally high price.

"Oh, Auntie, I just... I just want to pay back the kindness I received." The informant forced a smile on her face as she continued to unpack.

The redhead woman sighed. "But, Chotte, this is... This is too much. We didn't warrant this." The young girl was kind, despite the 'scary' tales her son had told her about. "We can't accept all these."

"Auntie, this is nothing," insisted the girl. "Besides, he'll have to get fed anyways. Kota has been going on and on about the quality of food they served in the Den, so..." By this time, she had finished unpacking all the items in the bags on the table. "It's time to see how he'll react once he's stuffed with some real good food."

The table was now cluttered with food items enough to last for months. "My son never complains to me."

"He'd never do that," Chotte then admitted, carrying some bottles and packs in her hands to put them away in the cabinets. "Home-cooked meals, even with the crappy rations, are superb. I... I'm really sorry for yesterday. I didn't mean to insult you... or your cooking."

"Chotte."

"However, those rations do not have enough nutritional value, especially for a growing boy like him. God Eaters... They are much stronger than an ordinary human—they have to be, to fight the Aragami day by day. But that also means they need more energy than what suffices an ordinary human. Kota would never complain, because the cooking itself is great, but it's just not enough for him to be fully satisfied. And surely, he knows that asking for more would just mean needing to get more base ingredients and... it would require more credits to spare. And because that boy has an endless heart..." She herself didn't even realize the small fond smile now decorating her lips. "Although, that gets a fair share occupied by his brain power." They shared a small round of laughter, and there was a strange kind of happiness now bubbling in her chest. "I'm not saying he is not bright, rather, he is more intuitive than anyone else I met, and more trusting of others too."

"Which is a good thing to have," his mother noted.

"It is good," the pale girl agreed as she now moved to unpack the bags sitting on the counter. "Now, I want to see his face when he can stuff himself with something containing quality _and_ quantity."

As she continued to take out item after item, the woman's mouth fell open at the sight. Chotte took out packs of fresh meat, a plastic full of cherries, packs of sugar, two whole chickens wrapped neatly in clear plastic, vegetables and fruits, even more condiments and seasonings and— "Chotte, most of these ingredients I've never handled." Not as fresh as they look now, and most especially not in such gratuitous amounts.

"That's okay, Auntie. I've got a number of Hungarian recipes. Please, let me make them for Kota and Nozomi. Though, I might have to ask you to taste test them."

She looked puzzled for a moment. "Taste test?"

"I..." Chotte paused on her activity, hands laying flat on the counter top. "I-ah... I got this condition that made my taste unlike anyone else's. So, I wouldn't know if it is going according to the recipe or not."

Another smile found its way on the woman's lips. "Alright then. Nozomi is playing with some of our neighbors' kids, and Kota said he'll drop by the Den after Lenka asked him to come. I'm sure he'll be back in a few hours, and Nozomi will definitely come home once her brother picked her up. Surely, we'll be ready by the time they come back, right?"

"Definitely."

* * *

"Mom, we're..." The redhead gunner's voice dissolved to a gulp as he and his sister stepped inside. "... home." Unrecognized yet delicious scent wafted through the air and he had to fight back the urge of his mouth to water simply at the smell. "This-this smells great!"

In split second, Chotte's head popped out from the kitchen. "Glad you like it!" Nozomi squealed a welcome and ran to hug the pale girl. "I heard you've been playing with neighbors, Nozomi. You must be really hungry!"

"Chotte?! You're cooking?" Kota's eyes grew wide, and the girl, in return, flashed him a proud smirk. "A-Although, it smells, really good."

"Well, dear," she purred, causing him to flinch. He really shouldn't have started calling her by her name. "Why don't you two come and take a look?" The sentence was barely finished but the little girl had already rushed past and into the section of the room where the dining table was. Kota followed not long after, and boy, the sight did render him speechless.

The table was filled with food—lots of it—with spare spaces left just enough to fit their eating utensils in. Kota saw plates and bowls he never saw his mother use. There were really just a lot. The biggest bowl had some soup containing beef and potatoes and vegetables, and he figured it's the main dish. On a plate was a handful of crepes—Kota had only seen them on pictures and videos from the NORN. There were even pastries and noodles and breads and biscuits—really, they were just _so much._

Kota tried to find his voice before his mouth begins to water. "W-Why did you make this much?"

"Is this really for us?" Nozomi asked. "Onee-chan, I can't eat this much. My tummy is still small."

"Well, Kota definitely can," chirped C, before turning towards the boy. "You will, won't you?"

The gunner looked nervous, and he gave his mother and sister a quick glance. "I-I could try." The woman gave a knowing smile and a nod, while his sister looked at him with eyes even wider. "So, C—Chotte spilled the beans, huh?"

"Why didn't you tell me it was never enough for you?" His mother finally asked, causing Kota to squirm where he stood. "If it weren't for Chotte here, you would be hungry anytime you come home, dear."

"But, mom..." He finally groaned out. "We can't afford it. Besides, the Branch provides for us."

"You can't stand those, dear," said Chotte with a snicker. "It might have enough energy provision for a God Eater to keep working at full capacity, but the flavor sucks, doesn't it?" She then gestured towards the table. "Have some of my home country's taste."

"Uhm... Well..." He then sighed. "Thanks... Chotte."

It was the middle of the meal when Nozomi, with a mouthful of chicken meat, called in a muffled voice, "Mom!" Of course, it got her to be reprimanded by her mother about talking when her mouth is full. The girl paused, chewing and swallowing the food in her mouth, before she continued, "Kota has brought home the bestest gift ever!" For a moment, Chotte noticed how guilt glossed said boy's eyes as he noticeably placed down his spoon and fork. "He said there's this big project on the works, and with his magical ticket, we can live there together! Forever!" She bounced on her seat, arms thrown in the air.

His mother appeared overwhelmed by the news, and he forced a smile on his face. "That's wonderful, Kota."

"Oh! Oh!" The little redhead turned to his brother's direction in excitement. "Onee-chan will be coming with us, too, right? Right?"

"Ah, well..." Kota chuckled a bit, scratching his head. "That's... going to depend on her, of course."

When Nozomi shifted her attention towards the pale girl, Chotte only smiled and gestured back at the ludicrous amount of food on the table. The two siblings went back to eating in a flash, earning a nearly heartful laugh from the informant. But Kota was not to be beaten in packing himself bite after bite, and he didn't seem to stop. The only pauses he'd ever had would be when draining a cupful of juice down his throat, probably to eradicate the overwhelming taste of spices in his mouth. But soon after, he would be back in shoveling even more food to his stomach.

"All gone..." Nozomi groaned, stretching. "I'm so, so, so full! It's like my tummy is going to explode!"

"So, you've been this hungry since you became a God Eater?" At the question from her mom, Kota flinched.

"W-Well..." He shuffled in his seat, not wanting to meet the woman's eyes. "I'm sorry, mom. I just... I just know we can't afford getting this much."

"Sure you can," Chotte replied nonchalantly, sliding a card on the table. Mrs. Fujiki's eyes widened in surprise at the sight, and Kota froze. "With this, you can get anything you want."

He quickly shook his head. "W-We can't accept that, C—Ch-Chotte!"

"He's right," his mother seconded. "You gave us this much, and even that offer..." Indeed, the idea is overwhelming in its own. It is too much.

"So, if _I_ want to help, I can't?" The girl sighed. "I... I received so much from all of you. I just want to give back, and this is the only way I know. You have to accept it."

"Chotte."

She didn't take the card back and instead pushed her seat away from the table, standing up and facing Kota's general direction. "I'll go and check on Yuka."

"Chotte."

"Kota, you should stay with your family. The Arda might come soon enough."

He considered himself lucky catching her just as she stepped out of the door. "C!" He called out, panting slightly.

The pale girl chuckled slightly. "Well, I expected that's going to be your decision. You've placed so much hope in the Aegis Project, didn't you? You believed that one day, it'll keep your mother and sister safe. But, of course, that belief was shattered by that mad man himself. The promised paradise is nothing but a fake, so now you need a genuine promise to hold onto—the Ark Project, right? All your faith for Aegis Island; they're now being showered to the Ark. Really, I expected it from you—a family man. Sakuya and Alisa surely are against it. I'd throw in the idea that Soma is too, and if she can say a word, Yuka won't be boarding either. I'm not sure about Lenka—little Lotus is quite an unpredictable specimen, but..." She snorted. "None of them have any more families, so of course their friends are much more important, unlike you. You have your family to prioritize."

"Would you be—?"

She laughed. "Oh, please. I am the Devil. I would be in your new hellish world even if you don't want me to be." She then stopped, frowning, but said no more.

"Sakuya understands..." He then said after a long minute of silence. "She said it's okay whatever we choose."

"I never said I was against your decision. In fact, I expected and understood it. But nothing has changed. Everyone's paying the price, whether they want to or not." Kota opened his mouth to reply, but was immediately cut off before he could let out another word. "You really should get back inside."

"But—"

"Really _should_ get back inside."

He held the knob in one hand and turned, pushing the door open slightly. "Hey... You'll be visiting again, right? Nozomi... Nozomi really likes having you around."

There was no kind of answer, as the pale informant simply took steps forward and away from him. _Are you happy now... 'Chotte'?_ Cackled the voice as the girl continued walking. _Oh my, if you have eyes, you would be bawling by now, wouldn't you?_ It was followed by a sickening laughter that once again filled her ears, drowning out any noise and sounds from around her. "Shut up," she growled in return. "Shut the hell up, Demon!"

 _Wow! You got bite!_ And it laughed again. The sound was everywhere—all around her. It was annoying, irritating, maddening. _So, what are you gonna do? Put on some cape and save the day?_

"I..." C stopped momentarily in her tracks, caught off-guard by the question. But then she shook her heard, briskly walking forward once more. "Shio can't be taken by Johannes, nor Yuka in her current state."

 _You..._ It laughed again. _Just because you know whay's going to happen, you want to stop it?_ It spat, as if the words wer garbage. _There will be consequences. You learned that the hard way, didn't you? You said it yourself: everyone's paying the price. It might not be you. What do you know; it might be them. It might be him._

"What the hell would you do then?!" She finally roared, hands balled to fists. "Why are you bent on this madness?!"

It chuckled in response. _Madness? This isn't madness. The humans—they're the mad ones._ It paused, and C could feel as though another person was standing behind her, arms around her torso and fingers tracing the shape of her jaw. _You are still one, aren't you?_

She winced. "I'm... I'm a monster."

 _Right._ It was already wearing a grin. _Then why are you trying to care for that idiot?_

"Because... Because he has bottomless faith."

_And you are insane... for trying to reason with yourself._

"You aren't me."

_I am leagues better than you would ever be._

"But you're nothing without me."

 _Well then, there's just one thing you could do to stop me._ It laughed once more. _There can only be me, or nothing! Make your choice. What can you do, little one?_

"The only thing left," she answered as she began to hum a nearly soundless melody. "Tearing you to shreds."

At first the voice laughed at such ridiculous idea, but the pale girl was not fazed. The devious laughter than began to fade in her ears as she started to tear her own skin. Tissues ruptured and bones cracked and broke. _W-what are you doing?! Are you out of your mind?! That's not stopping me! That's fucking suicide!_

"Funny," the girl replied. "It seems to be working. You are panicking." She returned to humming, her tune gaining strength. "You said it: either you or no one. And i choose... no one."

 _This... It's because of that boy, isn't it?_ Cried the voice in desperation. _If you kill yourself, you will never see him again! That's the price you'll pay for this foolishness!_

"You... You made him hurt so much for your sick amusement!" She gritted her teeth, not willing to give in to the pain. There's no turning back from this. She can't stop now. All or nothing. "Not... Not anymore!"

 _Fine!_ The voice roared angrily in return. _Then I'll take everything with me!_ As she continued to tear through her very flesh, C felt a destructive power beginning to boil around her—continuously growing, building up. _This shithole, these useless carcasses, your tools for your goals—EVERYTHING YOU EVER LEARNED TO CARE FOR! That retarded boy. His stupid family. These people made you weak. They made you fragile—vulnerable. Then they're going to disappear with me! That will be the fucking price of your stupidity!_

It was too late. Far too late. There is no way to stop the building power from its strike—especially not with her now wrecked body. The very least she could do is subdue it. It would cost her life, but why worry about that? If it ends, it ends.

If it'll be the price that she'll pay, then so be it.

* * *

Yuka felt as though she was sinking. Endlessly.

The pit seemed bottomless, as this had been going on for so long now. Days, or maybe weeks; she have not even the slightest idea. It could have been months and she wouldn't even know.

She felt tired.

The water around her was calm and relaxing, as if it was allowing her to rest in an endless sleep, never to hold a single care for the world again. And Yuka appreciated that. How long has it been since she told herself to rest? She could sink forever and—

A surge of power shook the depths, and everything turned chaotic and violent. The serene waters became rapid currents. The pressure that was absent a while ago suddenly surrounded her, squeezing, pressing, emptying her lungs with air. It pushed her down to the depths, sank her further, until her vision blurred and her hands grew weak from struggling.

And then, darkness.

She was gasping for air when she regained her senses, shaking and drenched in sweat. Seeing herself dressed in nothing but a familiar jacket, _Bärchen_ in her arms and standing by the window of her room was enough to puzzle her lagging brain, but unfortunately, the world deemed it wasn't enough. The lights in her room fluctuated rapidly and alarms were blaring all over the branch. Noisy. Deafening.

What is going on?

Her legs felt brittle and her hands were still shivering.

But Yuka was certain of what she saw right out of her window.

It was a large beast she'd never laid eyes on before, soaring above the Far East Branch and disappearing into the horizon. _What... What the hell...?_ It was an Aragami, wasn't it? There can't be no other answer! But why was it here in the branch? Aragamis don't just breach through their defenses and fly off as if it was doing shit for fun.

Something is definitely going on. _How long have I been out? Why am I standing by the window in the first place? I don't mind wearing Soma's jacket but why the hell am I fucking naked?_ Bärchen, _why am I carrying you around?_

_Ugh, whatever!_

She placed the stuffed toy back on its rightful place and pulled open her closet.

* * *

Everything came crashing all at once.

They had barely gathered the dirty dishes to the sink when this sudden surge of power that churned the whole house. It wasn't an earthquake, that's what he assured himself as soon as he had a grasp of the situation. It wasn't an earthquake because it didn't upturn the table and chairs. The utensils didn't come crashing down the floor. Nothing toppled over. The shockwave disappeared as soon as it had come, seeping every strength in his body and knocking his mother and sister out cold.

It would be a lie to claim that he didn't panic. He did, more than he ever did in his life. But his family was alive. Unconscious, but alive. After he had moved them to a much safer location in the house, Kota bolted for the door.

Something happened.

Something was happening.

The alarms blaring from the Den was an enough answer. His legs felt like they were about give away but Kota forced himself to keep on running. He felt weak, but he has to get back to the Den.

The people he passed by, the guards stationed around the Ghetto... They were all passed out cold. Unconscious, but alive. Much like his family.

He was en route to check on the others when he noticed a familiar figure on the ground, collapsed to a miserable heap. Miserable indeed, because as he neared the body of the girl who had left their house not too long ago, he registered the sight of torn skin, ruptured flesh, and bones poking through. "Ch-Chotte...?" His voice was shaking as he knelt beside her, unsure of what to do. The ground was clean from blood, almost as if she was only a broken, lifeless doll.

Why...? Who would do this to her? Who _can_ do this to her?

He wanted to pick her up in his arms, carry her somewhere, anywhere that could help.

"H... Hurts..." The raspy voice barely reached his ears, and the pale fingers he held twitched. "... Hurts..."

Blood spurred all over his veins. "Chotte?!" He was panicking—the metal grip of fear closing around his throat. There was a strange force that seemed to pull him away, but he deemed it was nothing compared to the need of the pained girl before him. "D-Don't move," he said, voice cracking now. "I'll-I'll call for help. Just stay here and don't move!"

"Ma...sk... hur... ts," she mumbled once more, her fingers this time managing to curl lightly around his.

It was then that he shifted his gaze at her face. The blue furred hood had slid back, revealing teal hair, a pair of horns curling toward her face, and most importantly, the partially damaged mask. A part of it had melted and its fragments were piercing her pale skin. How did that even happen?! Soma and Yuka had always hit her right on the face but that mask was unbreakable! Seriously, what happened here?! Without a second thought, his shaking fingers moved towards her face to take the broken mask off, but as he tried, it felt as though it had buried itself deep into her skin. "God..." He mumbled, corners of his eyes welling with tears. It might hurt, but he placed greater strength on pulling. "How did this even happen?" A little bit more strength, and it started to crack under his grip.

With a resounding crack, it broke lose, nearly causing him to tumbled backwards. He forced himself to remain upright, feeling as though every strength he had left was gone. "Took you long enough, imbecile," grumbled the familiar voice, and as Kota brought his gaze away from the mask he held in his hand towards the pale girl, he froze. He didn't see two pairs of eyes, but one—bright and yellow much like a Sariel. It blinked down at the perturbed God Eater, and his words got stuck in his throat. The eye at the center was surrounded by even smaller ones ina circle, resembling that of an Ouroboros. Kota was shaking. He knew he was. "This little one almost managed to die," the disfigured demon continued. "Goddamn stubborn sentimentality." It shook its head in disappointment.

He was paralyzed in fear. His mouth fell open but no sound came out. His body didm't listen to the commands from his brain.

This isn't... Chotte... at all.

He wished he wasn't breaking into tears.

Perhaps he wasn't, or the demon didn'f give a damn. "Ah, well, I'm out. It's time for a tasty Ouro-soup, I guess," it cackled, causing his eyes to grow wide. An Ouroboros soup?! "What? I can't get satisfied unless it is a Dreadnought-class or higher." It grinned at him before walking away.

He didn't know how long had it been since it left, but it was a phone call that snapped him out of his fear-stricken trance. His hands still quivering, he reached for his pocket for the source of the noise, relief finally flooding his chest upon hearing his best friend's voice.

Thank goodness! It meant they're okay!

"You're alright!" Lenka was just as relieved as he was. "Thank God!" But the other end was filled with static, nearly drowning out the voice of his captain.

"What's going on over there?!" He asked, finally returning to his senses.

"The Den has been attacked!" The other said amidst the deafening static. "All equipment are down! It's chaos all over!"

"Is-Is everyone alright? Tell me everyone's okay!"

"We're... We're good. Good, but screwed." From the other end, he could hear more alarms blaring and the voice of Soma angrily yelling. "But Shio—"

"What about Shio?!"

"She's been taken!" He answered, static slowly beginning to overpower their connection. "Dr. Sakaki... We couldn't believe it. We got found out after all the equipment suddenly shut down. We didn't know how it happened! The doctor's growing frantic! Kota!"

"I'm still here!"

"Rendezvous immediately! I'm gathering the entire unit at the Den! We're going after Shio!" It was the last words the raven-haired God Eater had left before the ear-splitting static devoured the line.

What is... this chaos...?


	53. Flittering Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They are falling apart. If no one will pick up the broken pieces, they'll just fade into the darkness, never to be fixed again.
> 
> "Listen..." The older male spat in disdain. "... to you?" 
> 
> "To everyone!" Kota replied. "You baselessly accusing Yuka isn't going to solve anything!"
> 
> "Baseless?" He growled. "I don't need to see any more proofs. Who else would rat out Shio's location to that tyrant? Of course someone who desperately needs the Singularity as much as he does! For all we know, she had told him about it even before the Meteorite Operation and the whole fiasco after the Pita was just a way to get herself an alibi!"

The systems were already back up when he arrived at the Den, thanks to the back-up generators and their industrious mechanics. Hibari was swamped with workload and questions after the incident, but she was handling it as professional as she always does. There were mechanics and engineers frantically moving around the Den, working double time to finish as much of the damages within the place.

Not wasting any more time, Kota hopped inside the elevator.

The situation was nowhere near better inside the doctor's laboratory.

If his impeccable timing is worth noting, he walked into the room just as the words, told in a cold and harsh tone, floated in the air, "We could have prevented this if you told us everything from the fucking start."

He knew those words were not directed at him, but he felt its bite, sinking to his skin and flesh. The boy could only cringe at the feeling as he slowly brought his gaze up. Of course, it was Soma; there could be no one else. What surprised him though was the sight of his blonde senior, standing a few feet across the said man. She was no longer dressed in his jacket but in her common Sniper Coat and Titanite Shorts. Before Soma, who she had always provoked, Yuka kept her head low. Kota slid in quietly beside Lenka, not wanting to be whirled into the hurricane that is Soma's anger.

The dark-skinned God Eater's icy glare lingered at his figure for a few seconds before Soma huffed angrily. "You knew about the Ark Project, didn't you?"

"And if I did?" The sudden rising of Yuka's voice caused both boys to flinch involuntarily. "It wouldn't change a damn thing." They were like two kids unable to interfere a married couple arguing—which might just be the case, except divorce can't fix their problem at hand. On another note, divorce doesn't really fix that many of a married couple's problems, does it? "It wouldn't make the Aegis project real. If you had known this much from the start, what would you do? Charge in there blindly and confront him? He wouldn't hesitate to dispose you if you become a threat to him, as he did with Lindow, Sakuya and Alisa. The only thing he needed both of us for was to find him a bloody Singularity!"

At the word 'Singularity', Soma's ears boiled red and he snapped, "And he did! Thanks to you!" Kota wasn't sure if it was his eyes playing tricks on him, or were those tears lining the corner of his eyes? "He fucking found Shio, stooping so fucking low as to sending a fucking Aragami right here on the Den!"

"Me?" She choked back a sob. "Why are you blaming me? I don't even know what happened in the middle of the fight against the Pita! I just came to my senses, with alarms blaring and the world upside down!"

"Yuka-san..." Amidst the tension, Lenka dared to have his voice heard. "Now that the Director has the Singularity, what's... what's going to happen to you?" At this point, even Sakaki, who was mauling silently in his desk, raised his head and glanced at the blonde, concerned. "... The Artificial Singularity he created?"

Her facade shattered like thin shards of glass.

Unfortunately, Soma picked up the supposedly harmless question wrong. His hands balled to tight fists. "Artificial... Singularity?"

This time, it was Sakaki who spoke, much calmer than the frantic doctor minutes ago. "That is... That is what the IRIS Project is all about, isn't it?" He sighed, noticing how the blonde in question refused to meet any of their gaze. "This... 'metamorphosis' is a product of it."

"You knew?" Soma asked in an angry disbelief. His glare then hovered over the raven-haired Captain, who stood defiantly with a stern gaze of equal intensity. "And you?!" He never felt so betrayed his whole life. When his gaze swept back to Yuka, it was then that Soma lowered his head. "An Artificial Singularity, huh..." He snorted. "Doesn't it just make more sense why would you rat Shio out to that bastard? Because you would need a way out of this mess." He scowled, the fierce, icy glares returning to his eyes once more.

"Soma-san, that's not—"

"Should have figured that's the kind of person you are," he continued, no desire to listen to whatever the others has to say. "Fucking selfish. You're no different from him, or from that fucking bastard."

The three God Eaters winced, Kota even more so, for he knows exactly who the 'fucking bastard' Soma was referring to. But she isn't like that, and Yuka is not either. They're both nothing like the Director, who had fooled them all—him, most especially—into believing that a paradise like Aegis could exist. Yuka was on the verge of tearing up. Soma looked as though he wouldn't be accepting explanations other than his own. "She was right," he then said, forcing his voice not to break under Soma's intense glares. "You are Pride, after all." Both veterans appeared surprised at the redhead's words; the male's eyes narrowing dangerously and the blonde staring at him in confusion. Kota lifted his head, not wanting to be further intimidated by the dark-skinned God Eater. "Soma, swallow that useless hubris and just listen once, would you?!"

They are falling apart. If no one will pick up the broken pieces, they'll just fade into the darkness, never to be fixed again.

"Listen..." The older male spat in disdain. "... to you?"

"To everyone!" Kota replied. "You baselessly accusing Yuka isn't going to solve anything!"

"Baseless?" He growled. "I don't need to see any more proofs. Who else would rat out Shio's location to that tyrant? Of course someone who desperately needs the Singularity as much as he does! For all we know, she had told him about it even before the Meteorite Operation and the whole fiasco after the Pita was just a way to get herself an alibi!"

He can be right, but they don't know what really happened, or how did the Director even figure out about Shio. They can't just blame her because it's what makes sense the most. "You didn't even let her explain!" Although, why did she not explain her side from the start? Why is she letting Soma just blame her to his heart's content? Why is she letting him hate her as much as he wants? "She's hurt. Lenka is torn. Shio is missing. Alisa and Sakuya are outcasts. Do you really want our unit to fall apart?"

None between Yuka, Lenka or Sakaki spoke, all three too surprised at the sight of Kota standing up against Soma.

"Newsflash—it already did," the dark-skinned God Eater replied, scowl deepening.

"THEN STOP THIS STUPID ARGUMENT AND HELP REBUILDING IT!"

Yuka was the first to take notice of the sudden change in his behavior. Despite that she was still trying to pick up the pieces of herself, her attention spun towards the redhead. "Kota, is... is everything alright?" Her eyes were still welling with tears but the pain brought by Soma's hurtful accusation had been replied by genuine worry.

"I just... I just think i really messed things up," the gunner admitted, suddenly turning small before the worried eyes of both Yuka and Lenka. "If you want to be angry at someone, it... it should be me, Soma." His hands shaking, he dug through one of his pockets.

"Like hell you could hurt a fucking fly."

"I took her mask!" The young gunner finally blurted out, pulling from his pocket the familiar item.

"Her..." Iris blue eyes fell on the damaged, black object on the poor boy's hand. "You... You took off C's mask?" The worry in her face was shortly replaced by a look of utter horror, surprising even Soma. "Kota... W-Why...? Why did you do that?" The boy could only grit his teeth, fingers curling around the broken mask. At least... At least one of them understands the danger Chotte possesses without it.

The nightmares turned out to be reality and they're all crashing down on them like large waves to a shore.

He lifted his gaze, meeting with the blonde's. Yuka was worried—for him and probably for the missing informant too. "She was... She was with us, at dinner. And then, she fled. At least, I _think_ she fled," he recalled, voice threatening to break. "She said a few times that she just wants some shelter until the Arda—an Aragami of some sort, probably—flies past."

"Arda...?" Lenka looked back at his seniors. "Could that be the Aragami that took Shio?"

Soma gritted his teeth. "Of course that bastard knew about this. Why wouldn't she?!"

"She's not a bastard!" The redhead snapped, once again standing against the seething God Eater. "Chotte is... She's just like us! She fought for her own cause!"

"Chotte." The other snorted in response. "She did pull a fast one on you, huh? Get your head out of the clouds, idiot. She isn't afraid to use you for her own selfish goals."

Kota was certain about defending the pale girl. Soma is just saying all these because he doesn't know her story. His pride just blinds him from all the good things everyone around him had done. The world isn't purely evil. Chotte isn't purely evil. They don't understand as much as he does. "How many times did she help you two to settle things?" He then pointed out, surprising both veterans. "Sure, she did a lot of... horrible stuff, but... It doesn't change the fact that she tried to mend your mess! It doesn't change the fact that she did good things, too! We've all been so focused on all wrongs she'd done—Chotte's human too!"

Lenka frowned. "Try to understand our standpoint," he finally said, taking the diplomatic middle route. "We've seen enough of her actions to know that we can't just trust her. She almost killed Yuka-san."

"She didn't..." He replied, forcing back a sob. "It was just the only way to keep us all alive _and_ get rid of the Pita."

"You have to understand, Kota."

"Chotte was just scared."

Soma's scowl immediately deepened. "Boo-fucking-hoo. Get to the point. Why would this be all your fault? I might not smack you in advance for grating my nerves."

"When... When Yuka-san lost control and shut down, something emerged, right?" He then asked, looking over at the puzzled blonde. "It was like a completely different personality. Chotte even called her SEL." Yuka not raising any questions regarding the subject meant she must have been oriented by the doctor about it. She simply nodded at the boy to continue.

Lenka was beginning to dislike where things are spiraling down. "So, does C—Chotte also have something similar? But, unlike that 'god' that she said was in Yuka-san..."

"The bastard has a fucking devil—Great." Soma was on the verge of breaking something with his bare fists—or maybe someone's face. If he decides to take the suggestion from earlier, Kota might need to explain to his family why the hell would he need a plastic surgery.

The redhead swallowed, feeling himself shrink under Soma's icy glare once more. "It's even worse, I think." He flinched, for Soma's eyes narrowed, much like a predator carefully studying its prey. "I... I heard her mumble 'Demon' a few times, and later, she did confess that... that she has to constantly fight for control. She didn’t want to lose control, because then her demon would end up taking over—"

"And you took her mask," Yuka said in a flat tone, and as the words filled the already tensed air in the laboratory, Kota figured he had done the worst option out of all the choices. "You. Took. Her mask."

"Chotte was hurt," he reasoned out, as the blonde's shoulders relaxed. At least... At least she was trying to understand his side. If she could love somebody as prideful as Soma, then she could feel compassion to a girl they once called 'Devil'. "... like she had been smacked around like that Cocoon Maiden you two used as a tennis ball for a game way back." It was one of the many instances they had Lindow face-palming. The half-dead body of the poor Aragami was crumpled to ball through the use of a predator and was tossed back and forth. Except, instead of using an actual sports equipment, they had Charge Crush-powered Buster Blades instead.

The blonde sighed softly. "But... she never gets hurt."

"I don't know..." Kota was on the verge of breaking down. He was worried for the girl. She had been so kind to his family so as to cook for them and leave them a large sum of money, but now she's disappeared and he doesn't know what to do. What can he do? His eyes drifted close for a moment in an attempt to calm himself, and relive the sight of the teal-haired girl's miserable image. "Her skin was torn right from the flesh, tissues ruptured and bones poking out from every possible direction. There was no blood."

"Why did you take her mask then?" Lenka asked.

Brown eyes shifted towards the raven-haired God Eater. "She... She barely wheezed out the words, saying it hurts. She must have been in so much pain that she couldn't even take it off herself. It was... It was burned to her very flesh. I just thought that might help her somehow to ease the pain."

Soma's anger was beginning to build up again. "So, this _Demon_ is out there—free. Just great," he hissed through gritted teeth." Anything else that could go fucking wrong?"

The redhead swallowed. "W-Well." Soma asked for it, so he might as well give it to him, right? "It said that unless a Dreadnought-class Aragami is the prey, it won't... It won't be satisfied. Before I knew it, it was marching towards the direction of Aegis."

"Aeg—WHAT?!" His eyes grew wide at the realization, and he's not certain why he didn't murder the younger God Eater right there and then. "YOU CAN'T FUCKING MEAN THAT!" Without any other words, he angrily pushed the redhead aside, leaving the laboratory in haste.

Kota was too caught up in the moment, immediately running after him. "Soma, h-hey! Come back!"

Yuka's eyes followed them before they disappeared behind the door. "You should go after them," she then told their captain.

"I'll... try to work things out with them," he replied with a small nod, though quite unsure of the task himself.

"I'll wait for Sakuya and Alisa then. They know the way around Aegis Island better than any of us. We can't charge in there without them."

Lenka shuffled in his feet. "Yuka-san... I was thinking that maybe you should... you should leave Aegis Island to us." The older female was obviously perturbed at the idea, but remained silent nonetheless. "Don't take this the wrong way, please. It's just that... You just got back to normal. You should get some more rest." Despite his attempt to be polite in regards to his plea, his golden eyes looked as though he wouldn't be taking a no for an answer to his order. "And when it's all over, you and Soma-san could talk—fix everything. Then we'll move forward like this never happened."

"You make a great captain, Lenka." A small smile and a curt nod, then he was out of the room as well. The blonde sighed softly, a fond smile crawling up her lips. "Those boys certainly have grown," she then said. "Don't you think so, Doc?"

Sakaki, who had been silent during the whole outrage, craned his neck towards the direction where the blonde stood. "Well, aren't you sounding a little bit more like your father now? He used to wistfully look at you and Soma, and then laugh at how he'd probably cope with the changes of you growing up." The blonde simply chuckled in return, casting her gaze at the floor of the laboratory. "Despite his orders, you plan to go and stop him... don't you?"

"I just want to make things right. I want to make it up to Soma."

"You do realize... that it might be too late to save her, right?"

"Well, it isn't as late as saving me."

The man reclined on his seat shortly before he stood up. "Come with me then."

* * *

"Why the hell are you following me?!" Soma had barely turned to confront the First Unit Leader when he found himself crashing on the floor. "What the hell was that for?!" Without a word, the other marched forward with heavy footsteps, taking him by the collar of his shirt and landing another hit. "You fucking assh—!"

"Are you nuts?!"

"The hell are you talking about?!" He struggled against the younger male's grip. "Get the fuck off me!" Pain rattled his skull the moment he smacked the other's head with it. Lenka staggered backwards with a pained groan, and Soma rose. "What do you think you're doing?!" He growled.

"You can't say all those and just walk off like nothing happened!" He rubbed his forehead, glaring at the veteran God Eater. "Do you really think only you suffered?"

He twitched. "What the hell do you even know about _us_ to butt in?!" He growled angrily, aiming a punch straight towards the chin of his captain, who took it with gritted teeth, only to counter in a flash. Soma felt pain shoot up in his gut and he doubled over, hacking.

"Nothing!" Lenka answered, one arm raised to fend off another strike, and afterwards taking a step back to gain distance between them. "But that doesn’t mean I'm going to just stand and watch as you tear this team apart! Instead of lashing out on whoever is convenient for you, stop for a second and THINK!"

As expected, Soma still refused to listen. "I'm over this crap." He pushed himself off his feet, surprising the younger God Eater and sending him crashing down in a tackle. "Everyone's lying on my face left and right!" He started striking one blow after another towards his captain, who held up his arms in defense, blocking every single assault. "I'M. FUCKING. FED UP. WITH THAT!"

"She did it for you!" Lenka finally managed to yell amidst the consecutive blows, and Soma faltered. He then grabbed the opportunity to shove the dark-skinned male away from him. They stood up, glaring angrily at each other. At least, Soma looked as though he's willing to listen now. "When... When that Resonance happened, I saw something—a glimpse of a memory, like I did with Alisa," he explained, though kept his eyes on the other male in case he attempts to strike once more. "She wasn't supposed to be a part of the IRIS Project, but she offered herself—for your sake. She didn't... She didn't want you to go through anything like she did."

His hands balled to fists once more as he stared at the raven-haired God Eater in disbelief, and for a moment, Lenka was afraid they might go through another round of violence. "SHE WHAT?!" He roared. "IS SHE OUT OF HER MIND?!"

_"IRIS... is the pit of hell Ichinose Yuka had thrown herself into, just so a certain someone wouldn't be pushed into it. It is the endless pit where she continues to sink deeper, all for your sake."_

_"It seems that there are idiots out there that are_ too fucking dumb _to understand even if they see, hear amd talk about problems."_

_"She's here—breathing, alive—because you are, literally, her last straw. You seriously think Yuka sticks this close to you because she wants to be every bit of annoying? You seriously think she's been doing it for her own entertainment? She's inseparable from you because you are her final lifeline. Yuka survived this long—endured this long because of longing, and that is exactly what drove her to make every attempt to be reunited with you."_

"For her..." His expression mellowed at the sight of his comrade, as though every last of his strength was being sapped from his body. "... You were the last thing she could cling to—for life. For hope. She didn't want the lose you—the only one she has left—so... she made that choice..."

_"Yet, here you are, treating her like, what?!"_

The damn bastard must be laughing from wherever she is.

"Choice..." Spat the older male. "What kind of choice is throwing away her life just like that?!"

"The same choice my sister made for me." The words slipped past the younger's lips rather bluntly and Soma was caught off-guard, finally losing his aggression at the tone used. "She took her own life, for the sake of mine. At that time, I couldn't stop her—couldn't do anything other than watch her die and then just... just run away. But now..." He started to close the distance between him and the other, gaining speed eventually until he was running right into him, once more driving his knuckles straight to the older's jaw. It took Soma by surprise that he didn't manage to gather himself immediately, staring up at the male in surprise instead. "I'm not letting you go through this, Soma! You're going to talk to her and you're going to listen to what she has to say!"

He sat up once he recovered from the blow, and snorted.

Lenka sighed. "I know... I know we have to find Shio and bring her back fast, but... You did say you're not going to choose between the two of them, didn't you? Besides... If we end up having to fight that Aragami—the Arda—there's a chance that it might go south like the fight with the Pita did; I want to see you two make up."

"Don't make me laugh, Captain," Soma snorted once more.

"Uhm, guys...?" Both males brought their attention to the direction of the voice, only to find Kota staring at them with hands on his hips. "Are you done with your super weird heart-to-heart talk using your fists?"

Soma and Lenka exchanged look, shortly before the older male let out a sigh and a groan as he stood up. "Captain..." A fast jab from the right landed on the younger male's shoulder, causing him to wince in pain. "You threw the first and last punches. Only trying to get even."

In return, he mirrored the other's move. "But they aren't as heavy as yours. Damn, you hit like a truck."

"Ever been hit by a truck?"

"Nah, how about you?"

He only shrugged.

"So, really now, is it over?" Kota asked once more, earning a small laughter from the pair. "What?"

Soma then turned towards the gunner, a surprisingly friendlier expression donning his face. "Just out of curiosity, what would you have done?"

"If Lenka didn't ask me to not get involved?" The redhead gave a light shrug. "I don't know—maybe quote some Bugarally and hope it works?" The two males then sputtered at his answer, to Kota's surprise. "What? I'm not a hard hitter like both of you. In fact, I'm pretty scrawny in comparison to you two, which... I really should work on. Don't you think so?"

* * *

Water.

It reached water, but the massive dome still stood in the distance, and from inside it came that alluring call. There were weaker responses that registered the demon's senses—movement from underground towards the dome and three more varying signals at the artificial island.

The demon focused on the presence ringing from below it and, to its surprise, it was a human, with evident traces of a god lingering within. Still, it wasn't much to care about. From the island, on another note, was genuine human response, along with two extremely powerful reactions. Along with the original source that demanded its attention, all there were over its own strength.

 _But they can't beat it. Even in such a state,_ this is what the instincts of the demon has told. "Heh," it then mused. "This will be exciting." With that, it sprang into action, hair reaching towards the water's surface and creating a makeshift float. At the same time, both of its feet steadied themselves on the ground and shot out with an explosive force—very much like a rocket-propelled skater, using its hair as 'legs' to glide above the water's surface. "I'm coming.~ Wait for me!" Cackled the demon, overtaking the moving underground presence in no time.

Even so, it did took some time to arrive at the island, and dome's exterior gave it a rather similar feeling to that of the wall enclosing the human settlement. Simply shrugging the thought off, it created an entrance for itself, tearing through the layer of the wall. It knew nothing of the place, but the hunger drawing it in was enough to give it a general direction. Any kind of obstacle, regardless of what it is, was demolished by the demon, clearing itself a path right to where it must go.

As the finally obstacle crumbled upon the creature's presence, a huge arena opened up in front of it. Two different sources of power emanated from the distance, one far stronger than the other. It looked up, only to see an enormous mass and size occupying the upper part of the dome, as though it was part of the structure itself. It was visibly inactive, but still, the sheer presence of such a being gave the Demon uncontainable amounts of excitement.

It forced itself to hold the mad laughter bubbling in its throat, lest it wished to reveal itself. "What a nuisance," it muttered to itself, peering down at the human below that appeared to frantically work on something—not like it cared. The Demon raised its right arm and it started to bubble up, melt and expand. The tissue changed, elongated and then hardened—series of physical changes that are far too impossible for a human to do. Once the transformation was completed, the Demon looked at its altered arm. "That widow... used it like this, right?" Glee was evident in its hushed whisper as it took aim, the weapon that was once its arm now pointed at human below.

The shot erupting from the organic sniper was easily blocked by the extended right arm of the stronger presence. The human looked up in shock, and the Demon fired again, only to achieve the same result—intercepted. With a grimace, it reverted the hand back to the frail-looking limb that it originally was. "I wasted so much energy for nothing..."

"Welcome..." It was what the human had said once the Demon came into eyesight, with the tall humanoid Aragami keeping a close eye the whole time. "I'm actually surprised you tried to assassinate me, Sea," he added, shortly before noticing the visible changes—the lack of clothes, the horrible amount of physical damage in its body, and finally, the hair that flowed like it was some kind of living organism around it.

It growled in return, "Can it, Human," looking at the monster standing by, before moving its towards the final presence that held the form of a younger female radiating so much power that it was nearly intoxicating. "I recommend getting the hell out and giving me one of these."

"These," repeated the man, eyes moving towards the figures behind it. "I don't know exactly what happened to you, Sea, to be in... such a state. However, I have no plans on separating from either the Arda, the Singularity, or the Nova which you set your sight on."

"Then, it's your funeral, Human," it rasped, raising an arm forward as numerous strands of its air shot towards the indicated target. But before the other could react, or the tendrils could have reached him, the being described as the Arda stepped forward and made a grab for those tendrils. With a strong pull, it yanked the demon off its feet, hurling it away swiftly.

For a few seconds, it rolled in mid-air without control, then on the ground, before finally smashing into the wall with a dull thud and leaving a dent on the steel. The pale, monstrous female groaned as it hurled itself back to its feet, wobbling slightly. "Do you have to do this the hard way?" As it was to unleash it's true power, however, dizziness overpowered it strength. It simply doesn't have enough strength to waste at this moment. "Che," the demon then spat. "Although... This makes it more exciting." It decided not to attack again. Not only was it in a bad shape from the earlier suicide attempt, but the body itself was not made for offense, and it did not have enough energy to waste on any more attacks that are bound to fail.

Instead, it simply stayed put, consuming materials around it in an attempt to heal. After a while, another figure emerged—the one it sensed that was traversing the underground route not too long ago. If it weren't for the peculiar energy being radiated, it wouldn't even be able to—nor bother to—differentiate between the one on top of the machine and the one who just arrived.

They exchanged a rather heated conversation. It wasn't for long though, as the one below finally resulted to force. It was a futile effort, really. If the Demon itself was unable to break through the defenses of the large monster, this one here is bound to fail for sure.

* * *

"The laboratory's been locked," Lenka exclaimed with a small scowl as he was once again denied entry for probably the fifth time already. "Looks like Dr. Sakaki isn't here either."

Kota came running out of the section elevator. "Lenka, Yuka-san isn't in her room!"

"What?" Soma's irritation was beginning to build up again as his blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. He then turned towards his captain, who had returned to making another attempt to gaining access. "I thought you told her to stay here and rest?"

The raven-haired male frowned slightly. "We both know she wouldn't listen."

"Where the hell could those two have gone then?"

"They took Shio, didn't they?" The familiar voice caused all three heads to snap towards the source, finding Alida and Sakuya stepping out of the elevator and walking towards their direction.

Soma folded his arms over his chest. "I thought you guys were on the run," he snorted. "Looks like you ran back into the lion's den."

The Russian God Eater flicked her hair with pride as she always had done. "We figured you'd be lonely, so we thought, 'Hey, might as well come and lend a hand.'" Soma simply grumbled at the female's response, turning to Sakuya instead in hopes of a better response.

As expected, the vice captain was not a letdown. "We've been hunting for another path into Aegis, but no luck on that department," she began. "They're so close to launch that they must have locked down the entire perimeter. There's no other way in."

From the side, Kota raised his voice, peering at the two females. "I... I think there might be. I'm not so sure," he said, "but I think there's a tunnel leading there underneath the Den."

"Kota!" Alisa gasped. "I thought you'd turned on us." There was an obvious relief in the Russian's voice, mixed with a tinge of delight—which was, in its own, quite unusual from the haughty Red Riding Hood. "You and your family were going to join the Ark." Brown eyes simply stared back at the female, glossed with so much guilt. Alisa immediately caught herself. "I... Sorry, I should have known better." She smiled softly. "Thank you."

He smiled in return. "Come on. I think it's down here."

They climbed down openings none of them were familiar with; most of them were simply doors that are easy to miss for those not curious enough to bother. It was a short trek until they came to an elevator, and the redhead gunner brought them further down.

As soon as the doors opened, all of them stepped out, Kota taking the lead as he rushed towards a tightly sealed door across them. He fiddled with the buttons of its security device for minutes that seemed like hours, until he gave up, and threaded fingers in his hair out of frustration. "Damn!" He exclaimed, growling. "It won't budge without the key."

"I guess it doesn't surprise me to find you all here." The arrival of the new voice jolted them alert.

"Tsubaki!" Sakuya gasped. "We have to find a way—"

"Just, don't." Major Amamiya interrupted before she could finish. "I'm not here to arrest you. Who do you think I am?" Her green eyes traveled to each and every one of them, like they've always done whenever she assesses them before the beginning of an assignment. "The whole region is in chaos now that the Ark is so close to its completion. All those who had a seat... already left."

Lenka knows a few of those people.

Sakuya locked gazes with the instructor. "Well... What will you do then?"

"What I always do, I suppose. I will fix my little brother's crazy messes." There was a pause in her words eyes now traveling towards the redhead gunner, who flinched. "And speaking of crazy, how did you know there was a path down here, Kota?"

He once again shrunk under everyone's gaze, nervously scratching the back of his head as he answered, "Well, heh. Back when i thought they were building an underground residential section, I tried to sneak a peek. I... I didn't know it was worth anything until now. Besides, the Doc told us in class—" He grinned proudly at Lenka and Alisa's direction, who regarded him with a small nod and a smile. "—that they were using this big ol' factory as a staging area for Aegis. So I figured, 'Hey, how else are they gonna get it there?'"

An equally proud smirk appeared on the woman's lips. "Hah, and to think Sakaki was always fuming about you falling asleep in class. I don't know who to believe."

"Well, I suppose you could give credit to his quite talented ears," Alisa said with a smug smirk, flipping her hair once more. "He can acquire knowledge from lectures even when his brain is all too focused on sleeping."

"Hey!"

"I have the release key here," the Major said. "But be warned, if you're going to Aegis, you'd better be ready. I only have one more thing to say. I am proud of each and every one of you... Fight well."

* * *

The pain was beginning to become unbearable. Little jolts caused her limbs to shudder as she tried to stand up one more time, only to collapse back on the ground and cough up blood—lots of blood.

"And just when I thought you couldn't get any more foolish, Iris. Didn't you want a paradise for you and Soma? A new Eden—devoid of Aragami, of suffering and pain. Yet, here you are, fighting against the very thing you ever asked for." Johannes looked down at the fallen figure that struggled to once more stand up right. "For what purpose, Iris? You are simply throwing away that one thing you've always yearned for. But I suppose it doesn't matter to me now. It shouldn't have in the first place. If your final decision is to stand against me, then I'm afraid I'd have to do what I must. After all, you aren't exactly an irreplaceable piece."

"And that's exactly why he loathes you, of all people," she snickered, albeit weakly. "You view us as nothing more than pawns and puppets. You were never a person—" She coughed once more, staining the floor with more blood. "—From the very beginning, you were already a monster far worse than the Aragami."

A smile—neither friendly nor welcoming—crept up the man's lips. "You speak as though I am the only one—"

"You are the worst of them! You killed Dad! You killed Lindow! You planned to dispose Sakuya and Alisa too! You. TOOK. SHIO!"

His steely gaze flittered towards the pale, motionless figure at his side. "You mean to say this... monster Soma had gotten himself attached to?" He mused. "Shouldn't you be grateful instead, Iris? I rid you of an obstacle. In addition to that, you're free of your supposed role as my Singularity. You should have claimed your seat in the Ark, persuaded your friends to do the same, rather than oppose me. Now, as the new world comes to rise, you all will die here, your good deeds interred with your bones and remembered instead as traitors, who sought to intercept the arrival of dawn."

Yuka dragged her weakened body across the floor, crawling to where her God Arc had fallen. Johannes casted her another glance of pity. "Senseless. A mere human could never stand up against a true god."

Her fingers closed around the handle of her weapon, and she used it to support herself up. Blue eyes then looked up to him, smug smirk drawn across her bruised face. "I suppose... I'd have no choice but t-to... to be one then..."

"In that frail human body of yours?" Johannes mocked her with laughter.

"Director..." The pain had not subsided, but Yuka forced herself not to crumble before the mad man. She can't keep stalling until everyone arrives, but neither can she destroy the Arda all by herself. "I'm afraid the 'frail human' body you speak of had rotten for six long years, devoured until nothing is left." If she can't obliterate the lunatic and his tool, she might as well just damage it enough to make it easier for everyone else. "Weren't you the one who disposed that weak vessel and replaced it with an Aragami—one to supposedly hold your Singularity?"

Johannes appeared to pick up the meaning behind her words, seeing as his eyes narrowed dangerously, and his smirking lips twisted to a scowl. "You only seek to destroy yourself, Iris. What happened to your dreams? The ever growing desire to uncover the infinite paradise you were always meant to do?"

"I'm going to die either way." One hand snaked towards the holster strapped to her thigh. "It might as well mean something."

_"Bitte... lass mich nicht."_

Ah... She really should have sent him that video.

"You possess a Goddess seed, don't you?" The inquiry made the blonde pause in the act of slipping something out of her thigh holster. However, instead of answering, her mouth simply fell open at the sight of the naked girl that was casually consuming a... Is that a metal pole? "It is futile," it then continued after receiving no kind of response. "Even I couldn't dent that armor of that thing, but... You might with this." It reached out its hand towards the female, allowing a black card-like material to manifest in the air and spin. It bore the same marking the pale creature had on its face—a purple and red patterned on a black surface.

Blue eyes studied the object in suspicion. Kota had told her of how he removed C's mask and unleashed a demon unto the world. If this demon is worse than C had ever been, she knew that simply accepting offers out of desperation might just cost her more than her own life. To continue fighting on her own might be futile, but she isn't foolish enough to surrender her life to utter hell.

She has to get Shio back.

She still has to apologize and explain to Soma... and everybody.

"No thanks," she then told the demon. "I've been to hell and I'm not going back there through you."

It snickered in response. "That's quite sad, Goddess." Yuka doesn't even understand why it refers to her as such. "But I suppose I would have no option other than watch you destroy yourself. And, when you're at the brink of life and death, I'll come back with the offer you no longer can refuse. After all, it wouldn't be just your life at stake by then."

"So, you've come out once more." The blonde flicked her head up to where the Director stood, gloating in the safety of the monster now staring at both of them. "Are you going to try and attack again? You just said it; even you can't harm the Arda."

The Demon mused as it finished what remained of its metal pipe, sending out the hair tendril to break off another one. "Arda, huh? In one former language, doesn't it mean 'marker' and 'stake'?" Its gaze flickered towards the monster. "Suits it, no? You're staking everything on this to mark your new beginning."

"Does it matter from where I took the name from?" The man's eyes narrowed. "Even you cannot stop me, nor anything you two might try."

Yuka returned the man's steely gaze. "It doesn't change the fact that you will go down. Maybe not in my hands, or this demon's. Maybe I alone couldn't stop you, but they can, and they definitely will."

He laughed, the sound echoing through the steel structure. "Iris, have you gone mad? You alone could not harm the Arda. You, who had surpassed Soma in terms of power. What kind of faith do you possess to believe that they can destroy one thing you could not handle on your own? This is a hopeless situation."

"He's pretty much right though," the demon then said, turning back towards the blonde, who had just dropped empty tubes of ampule on the floor. "But if you take my offer..." It didn't get the chance to finish what it wished to say as the other female lunged forward. The Aragami moved to meet the blonde halfway in the air, but was quickly taken aback by a large thorn that seemingly sprouted out of nowhere. It stopped in its flight out of confusion, but only for a short while, as its whip-like arms broke the object in one swift swing. However, it was not too prepared for the incoming assault, staggering backwards as the massive blade struck its halo with a loud metallic clank.

She flipped her way out of the Aragami's reach, barely able to deflect the continuous blasts of shearing energy sent to her direction. A single blast simply held too much power that she lost her balance halfway through the barrage, only managing to save the fragile vessel from further damage through the conjuring of another spike.

Nothing delighted her more than the fact that she has better control of them. Though 'better control' meant she had to concentrate real hard just to conjure those things, it certainly is better than losing control of her own body for the sake of using them. (Does that even make any sense? She can't tell. It is pretty hard to think when one's in the middle of a battle.) Yet, the thorns that protected her comrades, as stated in the summarized story she was told, were like tissue paper under the Arda's strength. They cracked and broke easily in only a few hits.

Maybe... losing herself and letting that 'god' take over would have been a better idea.

But Dr. Sakaki had warned her that it might really kill her this time.

And if she dies before she can retrieve Shio...

The Arda easily deflected all the bullets she fired, only through the use of its arms. Against the massive Aragami, she certainly looked like a rookie made to exterminate a Vajra—absolute death indeed.

But eradicating the Arda is not a necessity, at least for now. She just has to get past it and grab Shio. But...

_Annoying. Destroy it._

Exactly.

The Aragami came charging forward rapidly and Yuka could only jump away from its incoming attack, firing a powerful bomb bullet straight to the floor and using its recoil to keep herself mid-air. Once she was far enough from the Aragami did she summon her predator, clamping its mouth around a couple of steel bars hanging from the roof. It wasn't durable enough to keep her like that for long, but it allowed her to swing herself towards the massive female figure that kept the Aragami girl.

The predator retracted quickly, the blonde stretching out an arm towards the pale girl.

Just... a bit more—

She underestimated the Arda.

Stinging pain erupted from her stomach and she crashed, just as when Shio was within her reach.

" _Sestra!_ "


	54. Prologue to the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> END chuckled. "Gods possess only the power to create. Demons could only cause destruction. But, if you put together two seeds in a vessel created to withstand such power, what do you get? An Aragami with the will to erase and reshape the world." The realization then struck the male as he hurriedly picked up his now snow-white God Arc and forcefully brought it down the surface of the cocoon. Once more, the demon laughed. "Did your father not orient you, Pride? This is how the IRIS Project ends. This is how a Singularity is created."

Soma was, for the lack of better word, in shock.

He just witnessed a whip-like limb struck Yuka mid-air, splattering blood all over the place, and sending the female God Eater crashing against the wall. " _Sestra!_ " Alisa cried out, pushing the dark-skinned God Eater out of her path and running towards the direction where the blonde has fallen. Lenka and the rest followed in split second. Barely able to register what just happened, he craned his neck towards the assailant—and his mouth fell open.

The Aragami—the Arda—stared down at him with steely gaze. It held the closest resemblance to a human out of all the monsters he'd encountered his whole life—a feminine face and figure, tendrils that appeared like its hair, and a halo on top of its head. "No way..." His eyes then wandered at the massive creature behind it. The glowing cores surely were to easily attract any attention, but the very first feature that Soma recognized was its face—a face that resembled one he'd only seen on pictures since he was a child.

The face of his mother.

His bastard of a father, of course, would do something as heinous as this—modelling two beasts from the image of his mother. He didn't know what to feel, other than hatred and disdain.

If all these weren't enough, he caught sight of a pale, motionless figure fastened at the massive creature's central core. "Shio!" Anger building up within his chest, he gritted his teeth, pulling God Arc back until it was bathing in a crimson red energy.

"Soma, don't—!"

The Arda howled at him, but he was not fazed. Instead, he prepared to swing his blade, even if he noticed energy already building in the Aragami's halo. It released a destructive amount of power before he could let go of the Charge Crush, and Soma found himself crashing on the ground.

But it didn't hurt. Not one bit. Heh, so it isn't as powerful as they feared—

"Yuka-san!"

A cold jolt ran up his spine and he whipped his head to the direction where he had came from, only to find red blood tainting ivory skin. His knees nearly gave away at the sight, and Soma collapsed on them the moment he was at her side. The recent attack from the Arda had left a large wound across her stomach, profusely bleeding like a fountain. She was also bruised and wounded everywhere, blood trickling down the side of her lips and face. Shaking, he took her in his arms.

How long... had she been fighting the Arda by herself?

She turned towards him and smiled, albeit weakly. "I tried... to get Shio b-back, because... because I promised t-to protect... to protect her too." She lifted a bloodstained hand until it was flat against his cheek. "And I want to... to make it up to S-Soma."

Lenka knelt beside the female, taking her free hand into his. Alisa's eyes were swelling with tears. Sakuya and Kota were on guard, wary if the Arda strikes. "Yuka-san, you need to get back to the Den."

"Not until Shio's safe. Until... until that mad man is stopped."

"Are you crazy?" Soma growled. "You're going to get yourself killed! Can you even see yourself?!"

_Don't leave me._

_Please._

She laughed—he hates when she laughs in this kind of situations.

"Well, ain't this a little boring?" The seemingly flat voice that suddenly rose caused all of them to snap up, immediately looking around to find the source. "Scram!" It then shouted, and the Arda—who was growling threateningly at them—fell back, whimpering. Yuka clutched the fabric of Soma's jacket with quivering fingers, hissing a pained curse against his chest.

Alisa's voice was shaking as she registered the sight. "C...?" Surely, the teal-colored hair and extremely pale skin were very familiar— "But you're..."

"Not... Chotte," Kota tried to say, swallowing the lump in his throat formed by the building fear. Among all them, he was the only one to witness the Demon awaken, and the amount of fear he had felt that very moment was no different from the one he has now that he'd met it again.

Its lips twisted to a rather manic grin. "Correct," it replied, looking quite pleased at the recognition. "I am END—Eternal Nova Dementia." Its Sariel eye turned towards the figure of Yuka on Soma's arms. "So, Goddess, have you considered my offer? You could make this boring story a lot more fun."

"Fun," Sakuya repeated suspiciously through clenched teeth. "Yuka is at the brink of death and the only thing you want is fun. You really are a monster."

"Why did you come?" Kota then asked, stepping forward and placing everyone else behind him. It had been his fault that this demon is loose. If there is anybody that should take the blow, it's him. Brown eyes narrowed to sharp glares that met the monster's grinning face. "You could have watched us be slaughtered, yet here you are, gloating."

Its gaze now moved to the Aragami cowering at the far end, as its lips turned up to a devious smirk. "Do you... want to beat it?" Their attention easily perked up at the offer. They knew, even before they came here, that fighting the Arda might be a lost cause, and there's a possibility that they'll lose most—or all—things they hold dear. Still, they aim to defeat it—destroy it, and bring Shio back to them. But... are their chances really that slim for the Devil to generously offer? "You are to face a man-made, Rank 6 Nova-class Aragami. Did you really think you stand a chance as you are? Well, even if you prove it doable, one or none of you would be left standing. Because that's what a final boss should be."

"Is this only a game to you?!" Soma finally snapped. "You were here all along and you've done nothing!"

"Boo-hoo," mocked the demon, to which Soma growled. "The heroine is dying, her hero is a wimp, and the side characters are useless." A grin—demented and evil—spread across her face. "So, do you want to sell your souls to a true demon? It's not like you have anything else to lose at this moment."

"I'll do it," Kota declared without a second thought, certainty present in his voice.

"Kota!"

He turned towards the two females, determined eyes beady with tears. "That—That thing—" He pointed at the Arda that still kept its distance farthest from the demon. "That thing nearly killed Yuka." He gulped. "Yuka, who almost singlehandedly destroyed the Dyaus Pita."

END grinned, even more pleased. "Even though you are an imbecile with that limited brain of yours, you do understand the situation. That's good." It then turned towards the rest of them, arms folded over its chest. "However, he'd be nothing more than a flee. Of course, I would need consent from the two Nova seeds and the two IRIS children. This... imbecile and the widow are of no use to me."

"Seeds?" Lenka asked, turning towards Alisa in confusion before bringing his attention back at the demon. "What do you mean by seeds?"

"Ah, make a snappy decision!" The pale monster then growled angrily, stomping its feet. It clicked its tongue, snapping its head to the direction of the Arda, just as a figure emerged.

Their eyes narrowed to dangerous glares as they readjusted their grips on their weapons, part for Soma, who kept himself by the wounded blonde's side. "I figured it would be rude to not welcome my guests properly," the man began with a small smirk. He turned towards the sleeping creature's central core and to the pale figure attached to it. "I only crave what is inside you. Give in, little thing, and surrender those precious tears. Time for fighting is past." He then brought his attention towards them, or specifically, to Soma. "You were so fond of this little monster, weren't you, Soma? Perhaps you saw something of yourself there. Foolish choice, my son. Very foolish indeed."

His chest burned at the title used to address him and he growled, the anger further piling up within him. "Enough! You are no father to me. You can think of yourself as a savior, but... But you're a traitor! Let Shio go!"

As if on cue, the Aragami girl's motionless body began to tremble and shake, the core suddenly glowing a bright orange color. It spread out through the massive figure, highlighting a few other parts in the same color and spreading all over Aegis. "I've attained the Singularity from within her," Johannes then said, proud smirk donning his face. "I suppose I have no further use for the vessel. Very well. She is free."

They were all struck in shock as Shio's body began to detach from the Nova. It was Lenka who dropped his weapon and ran, catching the poor girl in time before she slammed headfirst against the steel flooring of Aegis. Even after that, she remained motionless, as though she had fallen to a deep slumber they can't wake her from.

Johannes met their defiant gazes. "Long the road... Treacherous the road we have taken to come here. For years, I have nurtured the Nova, Devouring only the traits it needed. For years, I scoured the earth, seeking burned out husks of ships that could survive space. For years, I built, waited, and prepared this journey. Now, at long last... Now it all ends!" As rockets lifted off from outside of the dome, he laughed, looking down upon them once more. "The contest has been decided. I, the victor. Come on out, Doctor. Haven't you hid enough?"

The team could only gasp as Paylor Sakaki walked in, grim expression present in his face. He looked up at his colleague far up on a craned pedestal. "We are too late. It is too far gone."

"No!" The Director replied. "We tread the chasm, one mistaken footfall enough to send us down. Each day, thousands fall to the Aragami. They are but a match before the fires of redemption. Nova, the Sword of Damocles, shall swallow whole this wretched earth! This world is already dead. When falls then the fateful blow? Minutes? Hours? Perhaps centuries? When it does, Aegis will be no shield to us, and I will not hide like a fawn before the hunter. I will bring this horror to bear. It is inevitable. And when controlled, the best of us can survive to this next generation. Did you not have the same dream, Doctor? To use this Singularity? Save you were begging it to hold back its divine flame."

"I wouldn't say that...." Sakaki replied, lowering his head.

Sakuya frowned. "What does he mean, Doctor? You... knew of all this?!"

"I wanted to preserve the world, Sakuya. I knew I could. So, I endeavored to make an Aragami like us, safe like us. If I could prolong the state before the Devouring Apocalypse rose, perhaps then... But I hoped to create an autonomous intelligent Aragami. I wanted to curb their natural instinct—their predatory ways." There was a small pause in his words, his tone suddenly turning solemn and guilt-filled. "And I used you all to do it. I used Shio to do it. I wish there had been another way."

"Of course," the Director mused. "You dreamt of peaceful coexistence with monsters. You were never a scientist, Paylor, just a romantic with a fragile heart." His gaze flittered towards the barely-conscious figure resting in his son's arms. "Iris understood me well. She knew that these monsters had to be banished from the face of the earth, for humanity to flourish. She sought to aid me in my goals, even if it is only for you, Soma. Nevertheless, she knew what needs to be done. That is, until she changed—all of you changed her views. You turned her into the likes of you, driven by emotions rather than by the mind. You made her believe that it could happen. Tell me, Paylor, in all of human history, when has such a being arisen? When has a human ever eschewed their instinct and remained autonomous?

It was the doctor's turn to frown. "Maybe never, Johannes. And maybe they never will. But dammit, I believe they can! You entered hell and abandoned all hope long ago."

"You cut me, but the words are untrue. Do I doubt humanity? Do I think them weak and petty and pathetic? Yes. But there is one thing I know. Humanity will always strive to use their intelligence. They will strive to live. Our natural instincts are no different. Gaze into the mirror. We are Aragami—the Nova in different flesh. Our saving grace is our minds!"

Paylor sighed in defeat. "For ages I have known that we could never come together. You've torn away Shio's core. That's your key, isn't it? You have your Singularity. You have your Apocalypse. And now I face this world, knowing I have nothing left."

"I will not deny your cleverness, Paylor—sending me to Europe, a desperate plea to buy time. But I had already won. Even if you had managed to keep the true Singularity away from me, it wouldn't have kept me from fulfilling my purpose. Iris would have served me well—did you think I did not think of this thoroughly?"

"Ah, of course, your boasted man-made Singularity. You have well manipulated the girl into becoming your back-up plan, to suffer for your goals. I'm certain Eito would have been proud, especially after you staged his and his team's death so that you could use his daughter for your plans."

Soma gritted his teeth. He had fond memories of that man—a caring and loving man who was the closest he considered as a father. The man who treated him as though he was his own flesh and blood—never different. The man who looked at him not as a tool or a monster, but a child lost in the chaos of the world. A child that needs love, as much as every other normal child. "Y-You... You what?!"

Johannes scoffed. "He had always been against the idea of the Devouring Apocalypse. His views were different. He had always been on your side of the argument, Paylor. But, do not grieve as night comes... The Singularity will rise like the dawn. It will point the way to a New Providence. The cycle of planets and life, tied to the Wheel of Fate and Time. It is Divine Providence." From the ground sprang a massive egg-like cocoon, glowing brightly as thought it was ready for hatching. "Who else would you wish to find at such a pinnacle? Who else could stand so in the new world? In any world? Only humanity. This is truth... The only truth!" The cocoon then unfurled itself, revealing within it a giant Aragami of silver and crimson, adorned by the very symbol of Fenrir. The Arda that had been silent for a while sprung to action, taking its rightful place in the new creature's arm-like appendages. "We are above all. We..." The Director's mad laughter echoed throughout the walls of the facility. "We ourselves have become Eater of Gods!" His pedestal moved towards the joint Aragami, hovering just above them.

If they couldn't be any more surprised, the Director himself jumped off his spot and into the beast, swallowed by a predator-like protrusion that disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

Sakaki turned towards them. "I admit, I was curious to see the outcome of that battle. Will Gods become human, or humanity turn themselves into Gods? Alas, I must admit defeat." His gaze moved towards the creature, and he could only sigh. "Ah, no different from am Aragami, Johannes. No different than the creature you bred to destroy us. I never thought I'd turn to faith. Too much trust in what I could see and feel. But I have faith in you, God Eater. In each and every one."

As he turned to leave, Soma called out, "Doc, you should... take Yuka with you. More than making it up to me, I want her to _not_ die."

"Ah-hah, no can do." The Demon deliberately interrupted. "You would need the Goddess to be in your party if you want to defeat it, especially now that you've all waited until he fused with the Arda." It scoffed. "You should have just killed it as it is. You don't stand a chance against the Arda—what makes you think you can fight the Arda Nova without her?"

Soma snarled at the monster. "You've simply stood by and waited."

It deadpanned. "I have been restricting the Arda from attacking," it then growled. "That thing has a murderous intent almost in par with my sisters."

"END," Kota then called. "You said... You said there is a way for us to fight. What is it?"

The pale creature dragged its eyes from the Arda Nova towards the group. "You would have to... abandon your humanity." The words slipped its tongue in a surprisingly flat tone, leaving every God Eater in shock. "Gods or Demons, I don't give a damn. But you, as simply humans, do not stand a chance."

"Become monsters like you are?" The Russian scoffed. "We are not insane to fall for this trick."

"How do I do it?" Kota asked, surprising the team even more. When he received objections in the form of them calling out his name, he angrily turned towards them, pointing at the Nova with its core fluctuating its bright orange color. "THAT! The Nova is going to destroy the world! That means my family—my friends..." Alisa's expression melted to compassion, lowering her shoulders as the male turned back towards the demon. "Tell me."

Signs of fatigue were beginning to surface in the monstrous female's figure. "You can't. Only those with the seeds can rise above their vessels." Witnessing confusion still evident on their faces, it then growled. "Can't you all hurry the fuck up? I don't know how much longer I can hold that thing back."

Soma brought his gaze down at the blonde. The smaller wounds had started to heal and disappear, and the bruises were already nonexistent. But the large cut across her stomach had not. Yuka is in no condition to fight, and if the demon speaks no lie, there really might not just any other way through this than accepting that offer. Still... "Even Yuka couldn't stop the Arda alone. Just what chance would we have against... against it?"

"Imbecile!" END shouted, voice tinged with panic. "Give me the mask!"

Sakuya and Alisa turned towards the redhead, who frowned and reached into one of his pockets. "Doesn't that... Doesn't that belong to C?" The sniper asked. "Kota, why do you have it?"

"Hurry up!"

The redhead frowned, much to the demon's displeasure. Soma was insisting that he _just give the fucking mask, dammit_ but he doesn't know how much it meant to him. Chotte was human—at least there was a part of her that still was. She had been so kind to him amd his family. And if removing the mask meant freedom for the Demon, then it meant that the very mask is the last trace of Chotte. He isn't going to give it up to anybody.

Over his dead body.

It just meant _so much_ to him.

"No." The response shocked them, even END herself, and even more so when the boy put it on without any other word. The moment he did, he stumbled backwards, as though something just crashed right onto him. "Ch-Chotte?!"

 _You really are an imbecile._ Kota stared with wide eyes at the figure in front of him—that unpleased scowl could not belong to anybody else. Although, the person standing before him wasn't exactly familiar in appearance, but the voice was enough for him to recognize. _How could you do that, you idiot?_ And, well, the manner of speaking too.

"But—" He tried to say something in his defense, only to end up scratching the back of his head. "I-ah... don't get it?"

"FINE!" Snorted the Demon, causing the redhead to flinch. It went and lunged for the Arda Nova, clashing head-on with the massive fist fo the one that had the Fenrir symbol. "I can take that from you when you're all dead."

Sakuya moved to help the redhead back to his feet. "Kota, are you okay?" He was—as strange as it may sound—mumbling to himself and staring down at a spot in thin air. "Kota?"

"Huh? Ah, yeah..." He nodded, albeit absent-mindedly. The ghost—or whatever it is—stood at his side, surprisingly human. Chotte lacked the pale skin, teal hair or monstrous face that she used to have. Instead, her hair was a dark shade of brown and her eyes—a pair of eyes—were golden in color, though a violet ring was visible around her pupil. He couldn't sit still...

Because nobody told him Chotte had pretty eyes and he doesn't know what to do—

It's just really pretty and weird at the same time but he doesn't want to be caught staring even with her preparing to smack him in the face!

Kota reacted too late, the pain hitting him before he could dodge. "Watch it!"

 _Tell Soma to devour Shio's vessel,_ the girl began with a frown. _Alisa needs to prepare a Link-Aid with Lenka, while he overdrives her erosion and... convince Dementia to give a part of her power to... to Yuka._

Kota opened his mouth for some kind of clarification, but before the words could come out, Chotte had kneed him in the gut, causing him to double over, before elbowing his nose. "H-Hey! That's physical abuse!"

_Just fucking do it!_

"Okay, okay! Sheesh!" Not wanting to be assaulted further, he moved towards the dark-skinned God Eater, fidgeting slightly as he began, "H-Hey, Soma... I-ah... I know how we could fight the Arda Nova."

Blue eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Sure you do."

"Well, just... just listen, okay?" Kota then frowned shortly, "I know, I know. But it's not easy talking to him, okay? I'm trying! I'm trying!" And after that monologue, his attention was back at the veteran God Eater. "I just know what we all need to do."

Soma propped up the blonde to a comfortable spot and picked up his God Arc, no longer letting his gaze fall on the severely wounded figure. "It has to do with the seeds it mentioned then, I imagine. But Yuka alone was not enough."

"Why don't you all hurry the fuck up?!" Dementia roared from where it was holding up both parts of the Arda Nova. The massive Aragami had it locked into a desperate defense. "I can't be killed here, but if you take too fucking long, the Nova will awaken and you're all doomed to die!"

"You heard it!" Kota ended up yelling in panic. Apparently, being rushed like that had gathered all his confidence up to his brain, as he was clearly stating the orders that came from Chotte. "Soma, you would have to devour Shio's vessel. Alisa—" The first command left them in a state of shock that they only stared at the redhead, utterly confused, apart from Soma whose eyes were narrowed to icy glares. "W-Well... You possess a Nova-class Demon seed, but you're not in control of it. However, by taking the power of a Singularity, it might awaken for you, especially with the bond you have with Shio. Might, that is." The words came out of his mouth as though he was only repeating voices inside his head.

Strangely enough, Soma held no objections, instead walking towards the body of the Aragami girl. "Just know that if this fails, you're dead to me."

"Why me? Kick Chotte's ass instead—ow!" Ignoring the kick from the informant, Kota turned to their Russian God Eater. "Alisa, you'll have to perform Link-Aid with Lenka, and Lenka, you have to do that... that thing that you did against the Pita."

His captain's golden eyes turned towards him. "Overdrive?"

"Yeah."

"But that's—"

"This is do, or the entire planet dies," the redhead whispered. "Please."

"W-We've never done that before!" Alisa then admitted, face blazing in embarrassment—is it really the time for this?! "What if... What if I—" To her surprise, the raven-haired male's hand wrapped around hers. "Lenka..." The erosion that was once silent around his neck had started to crawl up again, albeit in a much slower pace.

Kota sighed. "It'll grant you both precise and stronger powers and an even greater chance against the Arda Nova but..." He turned towards the flustered Russian. "... It would rip decades from your lifespan, with your body having to suffer the erosion as well."

She swallowed, momentarily catching gaze of the Arda Nova still engaged in a brawl with Dementia. Pulling a sigh deep from her chest, she allowed her gaze to travel towards their determined captain. "Fine. Let's do it."

The young gunner then turned towards their vice captain. "Sakuya, we can't do anything else other than support, so let's do our best to keep them all alive." They both took aim with their God Arcs, him instructing the sniper about the exact places her bullets should strike. With the mask over his eyes, his vision was no longer his own, but Chotte's, letting him see all of Aegis from an outside perspective. It was frightening, but Kota could only swallow that fear.

He has to if he wishes to save the planet.

"We'll lend cover for Dementia. Chotte says it has wonders to work for... for Yuka."

The medic asked what he meant by those, but there was no response.

* * *

END was irritated.

It had to use some of the power it managed to gather to do just what?!

To fend off this annoying monstrosity and save the asses of these useless trash?!

It's stupid. Why bother starting a fight that's already lost cause before it even began? They don't a stand chance. How can they not comprehend that? That imbecile should have just given it the mask. That Goddess should have just accepted the offer. If it had what it wanted, it'll be over. Nobody will win among them—well, except for the demon of course.

Despite that, it launched itself forward to meet the massive Aragami head on. As it clashed with the creature though, it caught sight of the black mask that its host previously wore, now decorating the face of the imbecile.

_I'll take it when you're fucking dead._

With a silent scream, the strands of its hair converged into a single point, coiling around the its own arms. The demon then moved to strike, only to have the god come forward and block it with its huge, clawed hands. "Pathetic," it hissed and rebounded, keeping its gaze with the two deities.

It could hear the imbecile giving orders in the background—orders that surely belonged to that little one. "Tenacious brat," muttered the demon, its hair spreading thinner and enveloping both arms now to form claws nearly half of her own height. "Well, what do you say? Do you want to have a bad time?"

The goddess howled and snapped her arms to the side, each one splitting to parts and becoming much more like a whip. It spun madly, either trying to slice the demon or contain any possible evasive maneuvers. From above, the god watched them calmly, arms spread out and energy gathering in his palms. "Ah, this might look fun," the demon grinned, jumping right before the face of the male deity, "Boo," before erupting to mad laughter.

* * *

"Are we really doing this?" Alisa turned towards Lenka with obvious distrust. "I mean, if it weren't said by Kota..." The Russian sighed, turning towards the older man. "Doctor, what are your thoughts about this?" In the distance, the demon still occupied itself with the pair of monsters—a God and a Goddess—each bearing immense power.

Sakaki placed his gaze on the younger group. "It is a rather interesting theory, I must admit, and, as it appears, it is our only chance." He fell silent, attention landing on the redhead, who was gritting his teeth and staring at the space by his side. "As farfetched as it sounds, it might really just be the only way to turn the tides to our favor."

"But to say such things!" The Russian protested. "I... I don't mind the thing with the Link-Aid, but... to say that to Soma of all people..." The last words slipped her lips in a meek tone, peering slightly at the dark-skinned male.

"Soma isn't like us," Kota began in a shallow voice. "Just like Yuka, he-ah... He harbors great power, but it needs some kind of trigger." The boy's eyes traveled to his side and he waited in silence, as if listening to the instructions he was receiving. One that they couldn't hear. "END didn't offer that... power to him, because they're alike."

Soma snorted, keeping his head low and turning away from the team. "A demon." Kota flinched. "They didn't call me the 'God of Death' for no reason then." A wry laughter escaped his lips. "Any other alternatives?"

"Devouring Yuka." The answer came flatly, though Kota's voice was laced with so much burden. He then turned red in split second, covering his ears. "Dude! That's dirty! Ew, I'm not saying that! Not in front of Soma!" When he finally noticed that everybody was staring at him in confusion (Soma in irritation), he then coughed before he continued, "As I was saying, she's in possession of a Goddess core, so it would pretty much give you similar results."

_"If you're going to choose... between Yuka-san and Shio..."_

He stared at the male gunner for a moment shortly before he turned towards their raven-haired captain. "When you asked me _that_ question... did you foresee this?"

"I didn't know about this," the other answered. "It was really just about them being both Singularities and..."

"Whatever," he growled in response, eyes flaring with bloodlust. "I have a score to settle with my bastard of a father." With that, he began to walk towards the unconscious vessel of Shio laying right below the Nova.

Kota watched him go for a moment, before he turned to the veteran sniper. "Let's get END out of that burden. We have to keep it occupied while the others get ready." The other agreed, raising her weapon and sending bullets flying towards the massive Aragami. They began to circle the Arda Nova and END took the opportunity to slip away, leisurely walking towards the blonde left alone.

"Lenka, are you... are you sure about this?" The silver-haired female asked once more, turning towards their captain. His erosion was already growing active, as he reached his right arm towards the other. He held this look of utmost patience, and Alisa instantly felt guilty, for she knew they don't have much time and yet, here she was, hesitating.

He appeared to have sensed it from her as his fingers curled and he pulled his hand back a bit. "I'm willing to trust Kota. However, are _you_ sure about this? You're risking so much more than I am."

With a sudden impulse, the girl grabbed his arm with her left and held him steady, voluntarily linking her own armlet with his. "This sounds like a bad idea..." She then said, just as the device began to recognize the damage in the other party's system. It initiated the Link-Aid, transferring some of the damaged cells between the two God Eaters and trying to ease the pain on one by making the other bear the brunt.

Alisa was quivering in pain, both watching helplessly as her skin got tinged with Oracle Cell erosion, the effect beginning to become visible past her right hand's glove. "Bit it's Kota we're talking about," Lenka said, chuckling slightly. "We can't _not_ trust him, right?"

In return, she smiled, "Yeah. He might be an annoying and naive brat, but..." She flinched, a sharp sensation hitting her as the Resonance began. "Hmm... Y-You really think so?" She then turned towards their leader, who chuckled once more, face a wee bit red. "Boys really do think of such things, huh?"

Due to the Resonance, their very conscious was shared with one another—emotions, memories, thoughts. Lenka saw the Dyaus Pita in Alisa's past once more, her being attended in a hospital, two figures approaching the side of her bed—one being a much younger Yuka, the other a sandy blonde boy he doesn't recognize—and her recruitment as a New-Type God Eater.

Alisa, on another hand, saw a girl. She had brown hair, a portion of it tied up at the back of her head. She doesn't know who it was, but simply seeing her made the Russian feel surprisingly happy, secured, and loved. Is this... Lenka's? A loved one? A girlfriend?

"My sister," he then corrected her thoughts, chuckling. "Iroha."

She pulled her gaze back, embarrassed.

"Well, you are cute," he said out loud in response to the Russian's new thoughts, causing her face to flare up even more. "But... we've got to deal with this and fast... for your sake."

"For ours," she agreed, and they broke off the Link-Aid. Although, the Resonance still existed even with the absence of physical contact, which surprised the pair, binding their minds together and most interestingly, sharing all their experience. "This is new," they muttered simultaneously, movements mimicking one another for seconds until the complete sync was broken. Both flinched, as though they had only been awakened from a trance. "This... This is going to be weird for a while," they both said, sharing a smile.

"Yeah," came the synchronized response.

* * *

As Soma dragged his feet across the spacious area, it was then that he realized how mad this whole idea is. Force Lenka into another overdrive? That would just kill him faster than what the doctor had declared. If things come to worst, he might even end up breaking the God Arc Yuka and Licca made for him.

A Link-Aid between the two New-Types? That would only initiate an overdrive in Alisa too. She's risking losing her God Arc and her life. Although, if she is an IRIS 'seed' as what END had said, then it means Alisa was meant to be another subject for his father's Artificial Singularity project. Why she did not make it up to the end as Yuka did is an interesting question, but he decided he could always save that one once they're through with this. If they get through with this, that is.

Devour Shio's vessel? It still doesn't sound right to his ears, but it isn't like he was given a choice. He doesn't understand what it would do to his bloody Demon seed. After all, Shio's power comes from being a Singularity, right? With him having extracted that core from her body, what could the vessel possibly do? Oracle Cells are basically useless without their core, that's why even their God Arcs has one.

And... Yuka. Soma didn't know what Kota meant by END having 'wonders' to work for her. But, Goddess core or no Goddess core, she's not in a condition to fight. Even if her wounds heal right away, strength would still take a while to recover. But it doesn't matter. The important thing is that she's alive. Battered and in an even worse condition than during the Pita fight, but still, alive.

And it is the only thing that keeps him from falling apart—the fact that she's still alive. He knew his time is limited, but Soma promised to finish this stupid fight as soon as he can and stay by her side until she recovers. Because all these were his fault. All these were because of him. Yuka wouldn't have involved herself with the IRIS Project if not for him. She wouldn't have suffered those six long years if not for him. She wouldn't have lost her family if not for him. She wouldn't have joined this mad man if not for him. She wouldn't have come here by herself if he had only listened.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he grew. Even Shio wouldn't be roped into this mess if only he had protected her from his own father. The things he valued are being taken from him right before his eyes.

Not Yuka.

He had already taken her from him six years ago. Soma isn't letting that happen again. Not after everything she'd been through... Not after what that mad man had done.

He should have listened to what his captain had to say, and he regretted not doing so, but it already happened, and it's pointless to fret over it. "I'm sorry, Shio..." He whispered, eyes on the motionless vessel. "I've already lost someone, but..." His gaze landed on his God Arc shortly before Soma pulled it back, summoning its predator form. "No more, Shio... No more. I don't want anybody else dying on me."

The vessel disappeared as the predator's mouth clamped shut. It retracted back to its original form and only a few seconds after it did, he saw his blade begin to turn white like snow. The sudden change started from the core of his God Arc, spreading outwards until nearly all of it was blanketed in such color. C had mentioned that pure Oracle Cells are white, didn't she? Does this mean his God Arc is made up of pure Oracle Cells now too? Or is it only the effects of devouring a Singularity's vessel?

He didn't have much time to think about it, for gunshots registered in his ears and he looked back just in time to see END slip away from the grasp of the Arda Nova, heading towards where he had left Yuka.

The blonde groaned softly, craning her neck weakly to where the Demon was coming from. "Are you ready?" It smirked. "Ah, why did I even ask? I don't need your consent in the first place." Instead, it called out across the room. "Hey, Pride!" Its smirk grew to a manic grin upon seeing the male flinch ever so slightly. "Have you uttered the best words of farewell? You might not see your precious Goddess again." Now ignoring the male God Eater yelling curses as loud as his cracking voice could manage, END turned back towards the blonde, grin never faltering. "Now, SEL, if you still want to have your doll back, you might want to do something."

The card-like material manifested in its palm again, drawing it close towards the wounded God Eater's chest. "This might hurt a bit," the demon began, "but no worries, you'll fall asleep soon enough." Yuka tried to at least resist, grabbing the other's wrist and making an attempt to push it the farthest she could manage. But nearly all of her strength had left her body. "I'll tell you, Goddess. You're only endangering all of your loved friends. Once that fake Nova wakes, it's over. So, quit being stubborn, would you?" Devious grin still plastered on its face, it overpowered the female, pressing the material against her chest

It stung. It hurt. Yuka felt as though it was being burned right through her skin. The worst part, her body was rejecting the foreign object—further tearing her insides more and more.

Torture, that's what it was.

She felt like she was sinking... again, and as her vision started to grow dim, the last thing she recognized was the sight of Soma pushing away the demon before her.

"What the hell did you do?!" The dark-skinned God Eater roared in anger, glaring icy daggers at the mad demon laughing in the ground. It was... the only thing he could do, for white tendrils had already sprouted out of the ground, enclosing the female God Eater in a thin cocoon-like sac. Soma pounded against the material, but it was not as fragile as it looked. In fact, it held that durability like that of metal. "What the fuck is going on?!"

END chuckled. "Gods possess only the power to create. Demons could only cause destruction. But, if you put together two seeds in a vessel created to withstand such power, what do you get? An Aragami with the will to erase and reshape the world." The realization then struck the male as he hurriedly picked up his now snow-white God Arc and forcefully brought it down the surface of the cocoon. Once more, the demon laughed. "Did your father not orient you, Pride? This is how the IRIS Project ends. This is how a Singularity is created."

"Is this your plan?!" He growled. "To create another Devouring Apocalypse?! To fight fire with fire?!"

"No," the demon answered, watching as even more tendrils continued to appear, rapidly spreading outwards and consuming everything—anything. Metal scraps, those massive thorns, steel machineries. All were submerged into that growing sea of tendrils. "I want your dear Goddess to destroy that fake Nova and recreate the world to _my_ will."

Behind them, the sounds of battle and gunshots rose. "Yuka would never do that!"

"I hate to break it to you, Pride but..." She raised her hands and drew quotation marks in the air with two fingers from each hand. "... 'Yuka' is dead. Now, until the Goddess awakens from her sleep, keep her covered, would you? It won't be for long anyway."

* * *

Johannes understood that there will be risks, that he would be staking his life on this matter. However, he had already lost his everything. There is nothing left for him to lose anymore.

When Aisha first opened to them _that_ idea, he understood what were at risk. He knew there are high chances that he will lose not only his loved wife, but also their child to the Aragami—the beasts that swarmed the world.

And in such a dark situation, he knew he wouldn't be the only one to go through such a sacrifice, but his friend Eito as well, whose wife had discussed the plan with Aisha prior to their knowledge.

But despite his worries, Eito had always been an optimist, a similarity he shared with Paylor. Even after the tragic event of Soma's birth, where they both lost their dear wives and nearly his daughter, the man kept himself positive. But optimism and positivity never gets people to move forward—as a realist, Johannes understood that. It is why he strived to stand on higher ground, to lead a branch of his own, to fulfill the dream Aisha offered her life for. When he succeeded, he had invited Paylor to join him.

If it weren't for him, Johannes surely would have been dead, as the rest of those who were present at the birth of his son. He needed his bright mind to support him in his goal of putting humanity back in its paradise, away from the threat of Aragami. Even then, Stargazer was an optimist.

Ah, but optimists had always had these interesting thoughts—the Nova. It is a creature that can bring forth purification of the planet, resetting all life it held. Johannes was never an optimist, but it was a faint glimmer of light in the darkness, a saving grace, and fool is he if he lets it slip from his grasp. For once in his life, after he had lost his family, he found something to cling and pour his life into.

Hope.

Though Monika suffered a fate like that of the others, Aisha, his wife, didn't quite 'die'. It was only that she lost her life as a human, leaving behind a cocoon and a cor with unfathomable power—power that fascinated him as much as it frightened him. At first, he still hoped he could save her—that he'd be able to bring her back. But the passing years ate away his hope, sinking him into the pit of despair with no way out. When he had accepted the fact that his loved wife will forever be gone, the news of the Nova hit him.

It wasn't only his son that was injected with the Bias Factor, but also his wife—she couldn't quite accustom herself to it, but the cocoon still underwent changes even after all these years. Several months of prodding took until he understood that it was very much like a newborn needing nourishment, akin to the Aragami.

Then the Devil walked in his door, asking if he still wishes to continue the 'idiotic' plan for Aegis. As though struck by lightning, he immediately understood what he should do instead. The pale pest gave him warnings, and he listened carefully to them, weighing each of them with an analytical mind. He then urged and demanded HQ for more reinforcements and supplies, all for the immediate completion of the project.

Still, even after so much years had passed, he couldn't find a proper source to awaken or control the Apocalypse or the Nova. He was stumped, until one crucial mission happened—the one his own son underwent first—opening his eyes to the birth of the Singularity.

That was the prologue to the end and to a new beginning. Finally, there was a ray of hope on the horizon.

After that, he created specialized groups to scour the earth to find the Singularity. It took years, and every failure, every dead end tested his resolve. But fortune proved itself loyal to him, as he had found his most sought beast, right under his very nose, hidden by someone he trusted more than anyone in the world—Paylor.

Johannes didn't know how long was that sentimental coot holding onto such a precious being. However, it didn't matter. The moment he found out, he sent the Arda over instantly to fetch the Singularity. He had been working so hard just to get the final steps of the purification to finally start. Time was against him, and he ran into more trouble than he anticipated.

It was clear that the Arda itself wasn't quite capable of holding back against the instincts innate to it. But that wasn't the only problem. The tremendous power it held, coursing through the remains of his loved wife, was eating away the very small consciousness it was still capable of harboring. However, the Arda would still be needed in controlling the purification process. Without it, he would only cause the world's end. There was no choice—he has to gain control of it himself. He would have to become one with the Arda.

He didn't think the insane idea promoted by the Devil would be the one to save him. He had almost completed that project—the one he named Fenrir himself. There was only the final step to accomplish: to become one with it—to be a god himself!

He would be reunited with Aisha. Together, they would reform the world as they had always wanted. A paradise for the children, it is what the two of them dreamt of after all. They wanted a world where their children could live without Death knocking on their doors every second. He's so close to fulfilling that dream. It took so long, but it was within his grasp—right in the palm of his hands! He would even get the chance to see his family complete.

But then, one after another, they came.

First, the Devil—or a genuine demon, rather. It was in a rather unsightly state, but even so, it made an attempt to get its hands on the Arda and the Singularity. Not like he would allow it. In retaliation, the Demon clashed with his creation, only to lose. Time was still of essence, and the transfer of the Singularity's core was nowhere near finished when his next obstacle emerged.

Iris.

Johannes was not completely evil. After all, Eito and Monika were still good friends of his. Soma is still his son, even if the world turns upside-down. That is why he offered—a seat for her and her friends in the Ark, if she would dissuade them into coming to Aegis.

But of course, as headstrong as her father is, Iris charged headfirst into battle. But if the Demon couldn't stand against the Arda, what makes her think she has a chance? Even if she accepts the Demon's offer, it wouldn't make any changes. It wasn't a surprise she declined, instead resorting to a method of her own—emptying a vial of pure Bias Factor into her system.

Foolish, just like her father.

As he was told, becoming one with something like an Aragami would be impossible, unless he was willing to sell his very should to the Devil—one thing he had done without a single trace of hesitation. Johannes could recall the same damned card-like object the Demon offered to Iris, the one the Devil had shown him.

The searing pain that he felt was incomparable. It burrowed into his skin, seeping through the pores of his body and becoming one with him. He was told that he'd be understanding its importance once he needs to. When he jumped into the body of his creation's god—which he named Fenrir, he knew exactly what she meant.

His body was dissolving, eaten alive by the Oracle Cells he himself created with his own hands. Though he was very much conscious of being corroded alive, he never lost sight of his only goal, his dream—his very hope.

The Devil's deal had helped him achieve something a mere, normal human could never perform—to become a god. However, he had been warned that it would only be a temporary thing, for a human was never meant to harness such power, never meant to have access to such possibilities.

He was willing to pay the price to save what was left of this damned world. He was willing to pay the price of his inhuman deeds. He might have to kill his own son, his own flesh and blood, to reach the peak of his dream, but... It is for saving humanity, isn't it? It is for giving them a much more peaceful world to live in. A clean and safe paradise, just as wha Aisha had wanted.

"You are far too late," it spoke, the God—Fenrir—joining the Goddess—the Arda—as one powerful Aragami, the Arda Nova. Two minds linked into one, and for one second, he felt as though a pair of arms was taking him into a warm embrace, a feeling he thought would only be a memory he'll relive in his mind. "You can't stop me now that I've become a god!"

* * *

It hadn't been long since the First Unit clashed against the Arda Nova. It is a far stronger enemy than the Dyaus Pita, but with Kota keeping accurate instructions for all of them, they were faring quite well. The redhead had been going around the massive Aragami, commanding them and keeping them in line through the coms.

Lenka and Alisa moved as one, sending synchronized attacks right on the parts Kota had told them to strike. Neither of them missed a single beat, resting only in their spree whenever the enemy finds its chances to retaliate. The Resonance and Overdrive had given them a burst of power, allowing their attacks to actually do damage to the Aragami. They knew it was effective at the very least, for they've seen the rare opportunities of the goddess staggering. It was helpful that their minds are one and alert, Alisa being able to cover for Lenka when he was struck by blasts of energy sent by the goddess.

Soma was enjoying the surge of power and anger in his veins. At most, this amount of strength is intoxicating and rather hard to control. He had seen the aftermath of it in his days before and it shrouded him in fear as a child. But this time, he was surprsingly calm. He has that monstrous strength under his control. The energy blanketing his blade never faded ever since he unleashed his first Charge Crush—it only continued to grow, stronger and stronger after every strike. He undeniably was on a roll.

Still, even with them working together like this, it looked as though they weren't able to do that much damage. Sakuya and Kota's attacks were like conventional weaponry against the Arda Nova. Alisa and Lenka are doing well, but still not enough. Soma might be damaging it better than the four, but he's barely scarring the Aragami, even with such tremendous power.

It then unfurled like flowers blossoming in spring. Soma was the first to take notice, dragging his attention towards it for a moment and barely able to deflect the Arda flailing its arms around. "Yuka!"

"Well, took you long enough." Soma didn't know how END got there before him, considering it was restricting the god with its hair just moments ago. The demon waltzed towards the female, who regarded her with a round, vibrant, blue-eyed stare. "Shall we get down to business?"

For a moment, he recognized fear boiling within him once more. What if things happen exactly as how END wants it? What if Yuka destroys both the Arda Nova and the Nova? What if she, not his father, begins the Devouring Apocalypse? He didn't know what was worse.

To his surprise, END came barreling down on the floor. Even the Arda stopped from attacking, scrutinizing the blonde instead with a sharp gaze. The large gash on her stomach had now healed to a white patch of skin. She looked very much similar to when she fought the Pita but... something in Soma screamed difference, most especially when she turned to his direction.

Her lips turned up to a small smirk, "Damn, that felt good."


	55. An Aloof Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> . "I can still fight," he croaked.
> 
> "Well, if you're going to be stubborn about it, there's nothing we can do—"
> 
> "Soma!"
> 
> "—but you're not allowed to die here. We're not losing any more people in this fight."
> 
> Yuka ran her fingers through his hair. "What he meant to say is that we have each others' backs. You don't have to push yourself past your limits. We'll make up for one another's flaws." A smile appeared on the blonde's lips shortly before she joined her partner in facing the Arda Nova once again.

Ever since Yuka joined the fray, things had been a chaotic mess. She was... still the same, except that the very way she acted made her completely different. There was a short—and rather strange—conversation between her and END before they both joined the fight, but Sakuya didn't get to see the end of it, as she had brought her attention back to the massive Aragami. As the sniper kept aim, the blonde appeared from the corner of her vision, leaping towards the Arda Nova and striking its head with her blade. Shortly before she had leaped out of her way, Soma's Charge Crush came barreling in, overpowering the Aragami in a huge surge of unfathomable crushing force.

Alisa and Lenka worked to distract the god, keeping it from supporting the goddess in its assault. It had been like that for a while now, with the 'seeds' being kept in charge of striking the Arda, as per Kota's instructions. The two New-Types slashed through its body, ensuring that the two creatures will not fight as one. Alisa dived in for a swift swing, and Lenka struck the god's arm as it attempted to swipe at the Russian God Eater. END was surprisingly keeping its role in the mess, securing Fenrir's massive arms with its own hair and straining its movement.

The Arda's screech brought the sniper's attention back to it as she fired, the bullet flying through the air and hitting it straight at the head. It cried in pain once more, shortly before it started to flail its extended arms. When a spike grew out of the ground and met the goddess' whip-like arms, it roared, only to be struck by Soma's empowered blade right at its torso. The Arda crashed to the floor under the force of the attack, earning a mad roar from its male pair.

Fenrir broke free from the hair-tendrils that held it bound, swiping at the pair of God Eaters and sending them both crashing. It dashed towards the fallen goddess and took it in her arms, the latter momentarily pressing a kiss on the face of the other. "Sakuya, they're going to attack!" Kota was across the room, but his voice was loud and clear in her coms. "Aim for the Arda's head!" Without letting a single second slip by, the sniper went to work, laser bullets homing towards the goddess' head and halo. It seemed unfazed with the attack, sending condensed energy from the palm of its hand to the God Eaters moving about. The god was doing the same thing, except that the condensed balls of light were shooting out of its chest.

They conducted their own evasive maneuver, waiting for the opportunity to strike the pair apart.

And for every moment that passed, Sakuya found herself even more in awe than before.

She had been following Kota's instructions as precisely as she could. Although their bullets were simply pea-shots in comparison to the damage brought by the rest, they were still effectively interrupting the Arda Nova's major attacks. If that wasn't enough to keep the vice captain amazed, the redhead seemed to know everything that was happening around him, even if it was on the other side of the battlefield and covered from their sight. He had accurately predicted the incoming attacks, as though he'd seen them already or known where they'll strike.

Even the most irrationally directed attacks were avoided, their side only taking damage if they tried to push harder than what their perseverance called for. And that's where their other role comes in—to make sure nobody suffers too much damage and keep the battle raging with recovery bullets.

Though, oddity has its share in this interesting turn of events. Sakuya had not been in the battlefield as long as Soma or Lindow had, but she'd been fighting for years long to keep a keen eye on her target and still pay attention to what else is covered by her vision. END and Kota appeared as though they were in a rather strange sync, much like Alisa and Lenka. Be it directing the battle or taunting the monster, the pair led the massive beast around while everyone else hacked away at its appendages, broke through the armor, and generally just chipped away bit by bit of the beast's health.

Of course, Sakuya wouldn't miss the stranger fact that the boy's attention was constantly elsewhere, and at the same time, everywhere. Moreover, she didn't miss the profuse bleeding. Whatever that mask was allowing him to do, it certainly wouldn't be good for him in the long run.

But they don't need any more sacrifices. As soon as this comes to an end, Kota would have to take that thing off of him whether he likes it or not, before it damages him and his system completely.

Surely, she wouldn't be the only to agree on this.

 _Are you watching us, Lindow?_ The words came to her head as another bullet went loose. _We made it all this way because of you. And we won't give in now. Not when we still have strength left..._

* * *

 _YOU IDIOT! TAKE THAT DAMN THING OFF!_ On a different occasion, Kota would have found it too difficult to keep his aim while there was a pair of fists pounding on his back and a cry of genuine sadness filling his ears. But today is simply different. Even with that constant ringing and a bit of pain, he somehow managed to wipe his face with his upper arm, only to find his blood visibly smearing his black coat. It shouldn't be too noticeable, but with his vision enhanced by the mask, he could clearly see it. Blood continued to seep from his nose underneath the mask. _KOTA! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T TAKE IT OFF NOW!_

Instead, he simply rushed the threat off with a small laugh. "Heh." The fluid continued to flow rapidly, no matter how many times he wipe it off. "You know, you're rather cute when you're all angry and concerned about me." He teased, turning towards the girl—or shadow... Or maybe ghost? Whatever form Chotte was materializing as now, it didn't prevent her cheeks from turning to a bright red color, shortly before she sent a kick right to his shins. "Worth it," the redhead laughed, ignoring the surge of pain as he sent another bullet flying to divert an incoming attack of the massive monster.

 _IT'S NOT WORTH IT, YOU IDIOT!_ Chotte continued to pummel his back with her fists. _Take the mask off, please..._ She then sobbed softly, voice cracking. _It's... It's killing you._

A small smile appeared on the gunner's lips, "No, it's not," and more consecutive shots landed on the Arda's head. "You're preventing that, right?" As she flinched, he laughed. "You wouldn't allow it to consume me—I understand that."

_Then you should know that I couldn't hold on much longer!_

"But just long enough to stop the Director." He momentarily brought his attention away from the girl and instead poured it all at the powerful attack that was starting to build. "Soma, aim for the god! Lenka, Alisa, stop the goddess!" In a heartbeat, they moved, doing exactly as the boy had commanded. The dark-skinned God Eater swung his blade at Fenrir, only for it to be stopped by the Aragami's fists. Despite his desire to not be outmatched, he lost, the god successfully managing to drive the powered strike away. Although, it was not prepared for a retaliation in the form of Yuka jumping from out of sight to smash the Aragami with such crushing force.

END landed nearby to where Kota was continuously shooting. "You're brave for an imbecile," it then called, eyes staring at the spot next to the redhead—the exact spot where Chotte stood, visible only to the masked boy. "But you're still an imbecile." With that, she dived for the god and clashed with its fist, its hair immobilizing the much larger monster and giving the pair more room for assault.

Meanwhile, the younger New-Types kept the Arda distracted. Alisa evaded the barrage of attacks surprisingly well while sending bullets flying towards the goddess' head and body. Lenka couldn't be bothered to switch to ranged assault—shame on himself for not yet mastering the usage of the shotgun; maybe he could ask Alisa or Sakuya for some tips once this is over—and instead brought content to himself by melee attacks. His Dyaus Pita blade cut through the armor surrounding the legs, the God Arc being of Deusphage material and the Overdrive only heightening the power of his every strike.  The Arda howled and swiped at them, but the silver-haired Russian managed to roll away from its reach and Lenka successfully whipped up his shield before he could receive damage.

_You'll die if this goes on any longer..._

"Chotte, everyone is risking their lives," he replied, brushing another stream of blood off his face. "I won't sit idly by. I won't just watch. I've always been the weakest in the team—the guy who couldn't do much. Lindow was an experienced man, Sakuya is the branch's best sniper, Soma is a tenacious hard-hitter, and Yuka is just strong enough to exceed those three in a short time. Lenka, Alisa and I were all rookies, but now, they're working like they've been partners for years."

The brunette shook her head. _It's just the stupid Resonance! Take the mask off, please! Don't you want to come back alive? Don't you want to see Auntie and Nozomi? Think about them too! They're your family!_

"I'm not taking it off unless you'll be the one to wear it! I would not give you to END! Never!"

 _That's stupid_! She cried. _You'll die! You'll grow some weird features!_

"I'll hide them!"

_You'll get corroded!_

"I don't care!"

The exchange of arguments died out to the sounds of gunfire and Chotte's weak sobs. _... Kota, please..._

"I'll bring you back," he then said, almost as loud as a whisper. "I'll do anything—everything to bring you back. Right now, it sounds impossible but..." He turned away from the Arda Nova pre-occupied with the rest of the team, and faced her, before pressing his lips against her forehead. "... until this gets sorted out, and until I find a way, stay with me, okay? Besides, Nozomi says she really wants me to invite you over again. I'd be a terrible big brother if I can't grant my sister's wish."

She sniffed. _... You're such an idiot._

* * *

Lenka caught Alisa in the arm before she could hit the ground. Using the momentum of the action, he spun in his heel, propelling the Russian God Eater back in the air towards the Arda. The Aragami tried to intercept her mid-air by sending a blast of energy. Although she had successfully whipped her shield up and blocked, the force of the attack sent her toppling backwards. She thought she'd be crashing down to the floor, but the words from her captain came inside her head immediately and she landed nicely on the surface of a thorn that spiked out of the floor of Aegis. Once again, Alisa hauled herself off her feet, and while her partner distracted the Aragami, she struck.

The Arda thrashed and flailed, sending the female down on the ground as its arm slammed against her torso.

It was painful enough to make Lenka cringe and hiss right where he stood.

It moved quickly to rejoin with the god, Yuka barely brushing off its attack at it swooped by. "Seriously," he heard END yell as he helped Alisa up. "Could you all do better than this?!" They hadn't barely made it anywhere when a beam of light struck them both, the female groaning in pain in his arms.

"I'm fine..." She then said, answering the question in his head. Although she managed to keep herself up on her own now, the gash on her side did give Lenka a little bit of something to worry about. "I endured worse than this during the Pita."

And they all had. They were driven to utter helplessness—even he, at some point, arrived to complete despair. The Arda Nova is a stronger opponent, but they've leveled up their game too. His team could take care of themselves, and he knew he shouldn't drag them down by constantly worrying. It isn't good. At all. Golden eyes flicked back to where Yuka and Soma were now fighting the Arda Nova. Bullets were flying all over the place, some hitting the pair of Aragamis constantly moving about. "Come on, Captain. We don't have time to watch."

The title made his throat ache. _Captain._ He should be the one leading them instead. He should be studying the Arda Nova's attack pattern and giving out orders. That's _his_ job. Kota had already told them the Aragami's weak points. He could work his way around it. Lenka watched as the Arda charged, crawling rapidly towards Yuka's direction as it whipped its hair around, sending shearing energy to every direction. Meanwhile, Soma was trying to avoid both the Arda's attack and Fenrir's homing flares of energy sent towards him. The sounds of clicking and shifting brought him back to reality and Alisa moved before he could react.

Of course the repetitive shots straight to its chest attracted its attention, but Alisa didn't let herself be caught by the Aragami. She jumped her way out of every attack, using the thorns to further caper upwards and evade the Arda.

"Alisa, watch out!"

It was Kota's voice, drowned out in the end by the loud crashing sounds and said Russian's scream. When the smoke cleared out, she was pinned against the wall through one of the Arda's arms, Avenger lying on the floor. The words clicked in his head before Lenka could think, "Yuka-san, give me a boost!" And he was glad the older God Eater understood. He ran for the silver-haired female's direction, another thorn springing from under his feet as he jumped, God Arc ready on his hands. It allowed him to reach the other just in time, diverting the Arda's second attack from Alisa. Although, it had him pinned against the wall too, nearly an arm’s reach away from her. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Y-Yes. Thank you."

Her heartbeat was resonating against his chest, fast with fear and worry and flooding with relief.

They both struggled against their bonds, but to no avail, the Arda only screeching angrily at them.

"Hang in there!" Sakuya called out, the nozzle of her gun now pointed towards the Arda's outstretched arms, spewing out bullets that homed directly to said body part. Kota, Yuka and Soma were now busy distracting the god.

If anything, the sniper's bullets were only angering the Aragami further. It hissed and screeched at her, then thrashed and flailed its hair around, shearing nova energy barreling towards their vice captain. Sakuya dodged most of them, the rest she countered with her own bullets, meeting the attack mid-air and exploding to a cloud of smoke. Even more irritated, the Arda retracted one of its arms and Alisa fell to the floor, rising back up immediately to pick up Avenger where it has fallen. The Aragami then went to strike Sakuya with its arm, sweeping the ground with it whenever its crushing blows would prove ineffective.

While it was distracted, Lenka swung his blade, hitting whatever part of the Aragami it could reach. He managed to somehow slice its arm, causing the Arda to writhe and screech angrily and drop him to the floor. Gathering himself up, he turned to the coms, "Yuka-san, can we immobilize the Arda Nova?"

The response was quick. "Sure, but how?"

"The thorns! We'll restrict them both with it!" He replied just as quick. "Then we'll strike the Arda in full force!"

For a moment, she hesitated. The Pita was able to break through them rather easily. What are the chances that they will be able to hold the Arda Nova long enough to even send it a blow? But there was certainty in their captain's voice. The god struggled against END's bonds while the goddess moved towards them for an attack.

"Now!"

The Aragami was taken aback by the number of spikes that grew from the facility's floor, locking it in its place. Some even piercing through its torso and earning a wail of utter pain. The god suffered pain of similar degree, thorns poking out of its body, as it roared in a rhythm in sync with the goddess.

The wasted no second to move.

* * *

Losing himself to Fenrir was a tough choice, but Johannes had no other way of accomplishing his goal. Gaining control over the Arda was a priority—it was the key to everything. Even if it's only for such a short time, he was, in turn, rewarded with power—the power of a god.

It sounded ridiculous truly, but this massive amount of power made it hard for him to focus. This made the nigh-irresistable urge of an Aragami, infused with the power of a Nova, to constantly be on the raise and burn with an unquenchable desire. If it isn't so much of a burden already, the Arda was beginning to grow more and more restless. Despite the unexpected stimulant formed by the joining of the god and the goddess, both its individual and combined prowess continued to grow to unprecedented heights.

Still...

Those fools—people he once held under his wing, be his purpose ill or not—were still alive. Very much alive and damaging a prized work of his. "Fools!" Bellowed the Aragami pair in unison, as it found itself trapped within clusters of massive thorns. The spikes crowded both the god's and the goddess' bodies, rendering both nearly immobile. The Arda shrieked and roared, arms extending to dangerous whips it flailed around.

At that moment, Johannes allowed his tight reins on the Arda to loosen. Though he knew she would most likely go berserk, it would also mean that his own corrosion would slow to a crawl in its continuous spread. Time was of essence, and he had not much left.

As the Arda fought to free itself from the thorns, which were surprisingly more durable than expected, Yuka and Soma unleashed horrifying attacks in an attempt to keep it from breaking free of its bonds. With the Aragami restrained, there had been many opportunities to strike and each of them had used what they could. The damage continued to rack up on its body, the armored exterior finally breaking and revealing the weakened flesh.

Despite being restrained, it found the strength to summon the light surging through its body. Kota was keen on warning them of the incoming attack, and they all moved to prevent its continuous build of power, but it wasn't enough. Whatever they do was easily disregarded by the Aragami. Finally landing on the ground, they ceased assault and whipped up their shields, blocking the insane torrent of divine energy that erupted from the goddess.

"It's—" Kota was taken aback, as his vision grew haywire in just a split second. "W-What's going on?!" Confused, he turned to his side. Whatever happened was affecting Chotte too, for her figure suddenly grew glitchy in his sight, as though struck by static.

Still, he saw the tears pooling at the corners of her eyes. _You're not one to bear the brunt of a Nova's cells... idiot,_ she sobbed. _It's... It's tearing you apart from within. Even if you disregard that pain and... and try to focus on the others—you're dying, Kota._

"So... that means?" He then asked nonchalantly in an attempt to make alight of the situation. It wasn't very successful though with him bleeding profusely underneath that mask.

Dementia landed before him, hair moving on its own to form a makeshift barrier, preventing the Arda's wild torrent from engulfing the redhead. "It means you're not a match for that mask," it snorted, stretching out a hand. "Hand it over."

"Never." Gritted teeth could not barr the answer, but Kota was aware of the underlying fear that coated his words. Even so, he held his ground against the demon.

"If you die, you'll kill her too," it replied with a shrug. "Just give the mask back. Your torture would stop and I'll have what I want; it's a win-win situation." Its gaze traveled downwards to the gunner's legs, which were beginning to shake and wobble due to the consistent blood loss.

 _She's right,_ Chotte then spoke calmly. _Give it to her. She won't harm you. Please, Kota._

The Demon's attention spun towards the spot at his side. "You can see her, am I right? Has she told you of how frightening I am once provoked? Or is it that you can't simply comprehend her existence at all?"

"Shut up!" The redhead growled in return, taking a shaky step towards the demon. "The moment I take down this mask, it's when I'm clasping it back on your fucking head!"

"You mean, of your love?" Taunted END with a laugh, earning another growl from the gunner. However, before he could take another step towards the demon, his legs gave away. "Time is precious, imbecile. Take off the mask."

But he made a promise. What happened to Chotte had been his fault, and it's only right for him to correct that mistake. Surrendering her to the demon is not the right choice—it is one he'll regret for the rest of his life. As the torrent of energy continued to rattle Aegis, Kota saw his friends crash down to a heap on the floor—Yuka slammed right against Soma, who immediately threw himself around her as they tumbled across. Lenka and Alisa stood side by side, defending Sakuya from the pulse of energy that shook Aegis with tremor. It wasn't for long when they lost ground, the three figures laying sprawled on the ground after a powerful clash against the Arda's attack.

Kota has better things to do rather than argue with END—he has to save his friends, his family, his planet, and Chotte. He might not be their strongest, but that doesn't mean he's powerless. He's every inch of a God Eater as Lenka and Alisa are. That's why... Even before an overwhelming demon, he chose to pick up his God Arc and return to the battlefield.

By the time the blinding light show died out, the Arda Nova had broken free of its bonds. It wailed and screamed angrily, finally holding its ground against the group. Sakuya coughed up blood. Lenka and Alisa were grievously wounded, blood spilling from their wounds, and the erosion only continues to hike further up in their skins. Soma was supporting himself with his white God Arc, blood also trickling from the corner of his lips. Yuka was still standing, but she was as wounded and hurt as everyone else. Johannes could see it all from the body of Fenrir—the boy who was supposed to be their weakest member, the one who had been leading them in the whole duration of the fight, was injured as well; injured, and having a fall-out with the pale demon that joined them.

Without his instructions, the team's actions slowed. Their flawless teamwork fell to shambles, and though they tried to keep the pressure on the damaged Arda, without precise orders, all efforts were in vain. It was this time that finally, the difference of a god and a human made sense.

Humans could not heal fast. The God Eaters might be a special case, but even they have their limits. Unlike them, the gods stood even higher—a different existence that could mean complete regeneration and adaptation if given due time. For all the damage they had piled up on the goddess, it only continued growing.

It was growing at an alarming rate that was far from what Johannes had expected. If this keeps up, the goddess would only become even stronger, allowing its already boiling tendencies of an Aragami to overwrite his will. 'I'm... I'm sorry, Aisha," he whispered, plunging the Fenrir's fist downwards to brutally strike the goddess' halo.

"Now, that's more I like it," Dementia whistled, watching as the attack rattled the Arda into another deafening screech, pieces of its now broken halo dissipating to Oracle dust before they could even hit the ground. "The real fun starts noe!"

"Fun?" Kota repeated in disbelief. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"That fool finally gave up." A calm smile plastered itself on the demon's face. It held no ill intentions, but simply a look at it was enough to turn Kota pallid. "Let's see what a mere fake can give me," it hollered as the god and the goddess rose, engulfed in a mad torrent of energy.

"Shit..." Yuka breathed out, locking eyes with the beast. "Brace yourselves. It's _hungry._ " Now that Kota's vision had grown next to nonfunctional, they pretty much have to rely purely on their instincts as God Eaters to put an end to this fight. It might not be as smooth as before, but they've had their share of rough battles. With a little bit of strategy, they'll work their way around this.

Lenka decided to take charge. "Sakuya," he called out, not keeping his eyes away from the Arda Nova. "Take Kota somewhere safe. He's been bleeding for long. We're taking him out of this fight."

There they are again, protecting him, looking after him like he's the youngest member of the family. He didn't want that—not at moments like this. He can fight alongside them. He's not a baby. Those were the words that slipped his lips as he struggled to rise, fingers tight around his Mousy Blow. But as he forced himself upright, his legs gave up instantly, and it was then that he recognized the cold fluid running down his cheeks. Not tears, but blood. He was beginning to feel woozy, but he doesn't want to be a burden to them. He tried to rise back up again, only to finally collapse on the floor, if not for Sakuya catching him in her arms. She propped something into his mouth and the pain slowly started to subside. "I can still fight," he croaked.

"Well, if you're going to be stubborn about it, there's nothing we can do—"

"Soma!"

"—but you're not allowed to die here. We're not losing any more people in this fight."

Yuka ran her fingers through his hair. "What he meant to say is that we have each others' backs. You don't have to push yourself past your limits. We'll make up for one another's flaws." A smile appeared on the blonde's lips shortly before she joined her partner in facing the Arda Nova once again.

* * *

It was becoming more beastly and lesser human.

Soma didn't understand why the hell would Fenrir attack the Arda like that. If his father's consciousness still, somehow, lives within that massive beast, then he might be able to believe that there is still humanity left within him, and helping them in some way he can is an act of repentance for everything he did. Maybe he wants them to destroy the Arda Nova before he's completely consumed by it.

Maybe he wants to help them.

It sounded all too believable in his head. At the same time, it was mad, because the very same man orchestrated the IRIS and the ARK Projects. The idea that there is still some humanity in that man nearly made him puke all of a sudden. The white-haired God Eater struck the Aragami before it could do to them, and Yuka followed it up with a crushing swipe right through its body. Dementia was with them as well, binding the goddess' and the god's arms using its hair. It wasn't as effective as it used to be, for both beasts thrashed against their restraints in full force, but it was better than nothing. Using his shield as some kind of platform, Lenka hoisted Alisa up in the air with a huge boost, allowing the Russian God Eater to zip through and bury her blade right at the face of Fenrir.

However, its arms broke free from their bonds and it easily swatted away the silver-haired female. Lenka had to dive across the floor just to catch her on time.

A destructive Charge Crush swept over the Arda, the Aragami crashing hard against its pair. As if dissatisfied with the work he's done, the dark-skinned God Eater swung his blade once more, sending another powerful wave of energy straight towards where their enemies had fallen. By the time he had conjured the third attack, the Arda had risen back up, countering him with an equally destructive beam of divine energy.

Both forces clashed against one another before resulting in a massive explosion. It covered their battlefield in thick smoke, blocking the God Eaters from the Arda Nova's vision, allowing them to strike it by surprise through Yuka's guides on its location, and avoiding the random attacks the Aragami was throwing while it couldn't see its assailants.

Another Charge Crush cleared out the smoke, and they came to see how much destruction the earlier clash had caused. The existing thorns had been torn to pieces and wreckage of Aegis laid sprawled all over the area. Machines were totally annihilated and even some of the steel flooring had been torn off their screws and upturned.

All through his life, Soma feared that horrendous amount of power kept within him. It scared people. The times he didn't have it under control, it hurt them. He remembered those low voices behind his back, how they would gossip whenever they thought he couldn't hear them. As time flew past, he isolated himself from others before they could do that to him. At least, he wouldn't be hurting any more people. He had learned to simply shrug the voices off.

Moreover, he had grown afraid that he'll end up hurting the people he learned to call his friends. The people that trusted him to have their backs.

_"You... will bring joy to this world. Protect everyone from... the Aragami..."_

But they're fighting with him, aren't they? For the world. For Shio. For everyone who has died for this cause. For Lindow.

"Soma, it's restrained! NOW!"

The energy that had long been coating his blade only grew and continued to pulse with unfathomable power. With every bit of his strength, he gave it a swift and certain swing.

The crushing attack he released left destruction in its path, engulfing the Arda Nova as its pained scream was muffled out. It was deafening, and something within him ached as he watched. The Arda was modeled after the image of his mother, and Fenrir had devoured his father. It was both of his parents that was being destroyed by something that had come from him.

Soma could only scoff at himself. Eric, Lindow, and now his parents... The Death God title really was meant for him, huh?

The surge of power had died out eventually, along with the Aragamis' shrieks and wails. It was still standing, brushing off the pain of the attack. "Fools..." The man's voice came once more. "I won't fall to you... I refuse to fall! You turned your back on power... on humanity! Blood traitors! Deceivers all!" It was the last words that they heard, as the Arda Nova finally collapsed. The Arda's halo was torn off its head and fell to the floor with a metallic _clank!_ , the feminine beast falling on top of Fenrir, whip-like limbs sprawled motionless on the floor.

When there were no further movements registered, the members of his team gathered around him. Sakuya had Kota's arm thrown over her shoulder, the redhead still bleeding from underneath his mask, though not as profusely as before. The sniper regarded them with a small smile. Alisa and Lenka came to him at the same time, both faces showing relief over the battle they've survived. The silver-haired Russian was limping slightly and their Captain had a hand over a wound to his side, but they dismissed the injuries easily.

"I'm sorry you had to do it," Yuka whispered in a broken voice, the warmth of her hand wrapped around his own. When she was met with the puzzled look on their faces, her gaze flicked back to where the fallen Aragami was. "You know how there are Aragamis that can be damaged the most by God Arcs crafted from their own materials? The Aragamis that can only be destroyed by something made out of them?"

They finally picked up the meaning behind her apology, and Soma could only lower his head. "It's... okay. You're alright, so it's quite... okay." Swallowing the lump building in his throat, he turned towards the Nova. "Let's just figure out how we'll deal with this one now."

As if on cue, the ground beneath their feet rattled rather violently—"Shit!"—and they nearly were thrown off balance. The Nova's core glowed in a bright orange color, further lighting up their already devastated environment. "Even now..." Kota started weakly. "Even with him gone... we can't. There's... There's no way we can stop the Nova!"

"We have to..." Yuka argued. "We have to! We've come this far!"

Sakuya turned towards them, voice cracking as her eyes grew misty with tears. "There's got to be a way. I'm sure of it. We can't just surrender here! Lindow... He died to bring us here! We have to at least do something!"

From the remains of Fenrir, Johannes' voice came again the form of laughter, "Hehe... There is none. Nova has awoken. It will purge.... It will consume... and it will begin again."

"He's right." Paylor stepped out from where he had been watching for long. "It's an impossible task we face. The process has already begun."

Soma gritted his teeth, fingers squeezing the ones recently wrapped around his own. "We can't— We won't accept this, old man! There must be a way... Any way!"

The look on the doctor's face was grim. "I wish I could make it all better, Soma. I do." He sighed. "Nova is an overflowing spring. The river has broken levee and will drown us all. The starts will be reborn. The Aragami will end all things... There was nothing we could do after all, even from the start."

"No! I will not hear this from you! I refuse to believe it!" He argued.

"You must hurry... Soma, you must go. Take your comrades to... to the Ark. Please... my child." He straightened, for the voice that spoke was not of the man who had viewed him as a tool, but of a father with no other desire but redeem himself and save his son. "Don't you see?" It was weak, as though every word was the last. "There was never a place for upon that ship... There was never a new world awaiting me... I tore the skies and rent the seas. I have no right to another. I can merely see it and weep. You are the final step. And no one better, Soma... No one better than you."

"... Father."

"Iris—no, Yuka, accept my... my deepest apologies for everything that you've... you've lost: Monika, Eito... the life you could have had." He coughed. "You... and Soma well deserve that... that paradise you were both promised. Please... continue looking after my son... like I've never done in the past."

Paylor tore his gaze from the now silent Aragami and towards the Nova. "In the end, we could only search for answers, Aisha. We could find none. Forgive us for this terrible war. Have we atoned for what we did? I think... we have tried."

The core's colors began to pulse rapidly, and all of them could only watch in absolute terror and despair as tendrils sprouted out of the Nova, spreading outwards further than Aegis. In a short while, it will be over. The world they know of will vanish, replaced anew, and those who had boarded the Ark will begin life in the new world. "Doc..." Amidst the tremor, Yuka found her voice. "We can't let this just happen." Her pensive gaze lingered at Soma for mere moments, eyes shortly drifting close as she turned towards the doctor. "We have no choice but fight fire with fire. The Nova will devour the world, unless there is something that can devour it before it does that."

"Corporal Ichinose Yuka, are you suggesting that...?"

Her lips pursed to a straight line.

"What makes you think I'll let you do just that?!" Soma growled the moment he understood. "There has to be some other way!"

"There is no way." END finally said, surprising the team. "This 'fake' can only destroy. So, if you want to save your pathetic hides, let the Goddess do as she intends to. After all, she cannot escape what fate had decreed for her—she's meant to die here."

"Fuck off!" The white-haired man barked. "You said it yourself, asshole! The reason you made her a Singularity was to start your own Apocalypse and rewrite this world to your will! You're not taking Yuka! You're not starting your own madness! Not on my watch!"

The demon frowned in disapproval. "Have you lost your mind? Or do you still have no grasp of what is meant to happen? You have destroyed the Arda Nova. You think you've won this battle, but in reality, you've only broken the control over the Nova. It will run rampant. It will not save your dearly beloved world."

"END is... END is speaking the truth," Kota finally added, and Dementia smirked in delight. "The Nova... It originally possessed a Demon-class seed... The Singularity was only a key to starting the Apocalypse, but without a way to control it..." His words dwindled off, lips pursing flat as well.

"So that is why Johann created this... Aragami. To save the planet..." Paylor adjusted his glasses as he looked over to the seething God Eater. "Your father... He might have gone down the wrong path, but still, he tried his best..."

The Nova's awakening continued to rattle Aegis, and most likely, the world. The core continued to pulse faster and faster as their doom drew near. Soma knew within him, that there really might not be any other way, that they might have to ignite a greater fire to swallow the one they see now. The demon might be right, and if the world falls because of his indecisiveness, his selfishness, his pride, he might have to carry that guilt even after he dies. But he had already lost so much—his mother, Lindow, Shio, his father. What was left of him is the flower in his hand, with eyes pleading for him to let go.

He can't.

He just can't.

They've both been in that darkness.

They're not going back there on their own.

"No."

All of a sudden, the tremor stopped, and the Nova's core grew dull. The tendrils it summoned had stopped in motion, and for that mere moment, everything was at peace and silent.

"Thank you..."

His heart nearly stopped, for along with that familiar voice, the Nova's core glowed once more, this time in a serene blue color. Its tendrils still had not moved an inch, but the glow spread towards Aegis, bathing the facility in its warm light. Alisa was the first to recover from the shock. "W-What...?"

"Thank you... All of you," the voice resonated once more, and Soma couldn't be any more sure. It's Shio. She had overpowered the Nova and is now speaking to them.

Even the doctor, who they had relied to in all knowledge regarding Oracle Cells and Aragami, was perturbed. "How could she maintain this? Her individuality, her humanity, it... It was absorbed by the Nova, taken with her core, it—"

"It's rising! Look, it's rising!"

Alisa didn't really have to point it out, but it was only then that they noticed the now slight shaking of the environment around them, along with the Nova rising, indeed as what the Russian had cried out. Is Shio... taking over the Devouring Apocalypse? "Shio, what... what are you doing?" Yuka asked.

There was a small pause, and they've visualized it as their favorite Aragami girl smiling down at all of them. "Look beyond the sky... everyone. It's so big... perfectly round..." She laughed. "It's like a giant rice cake! You know, like the one Sakuya made for us? It looks much tastier than this world, don't you think? Much, much tastier."

"Shio, are you..." Lenka found it hard to let his voice escape. "Are you taking the Nova to the moon?"

"Shio, listen to me!" Kota cried. "She's still alive, right, Doc? Right?!"

"I... I don't know," the older man admitted. "But if she wasn't, then..."

"I know things..." The Aragami girl whispered. "For the first time, I understand everything. All of what you taught me makes so much sense. All of what you taught me makes a... a person... To eat together with someone... To live... To live for someone... To die... To die for someone... And finally... to forgive someone. They take many shapes, they twist and turn and change, but... Everyone is a connection. You are bound to each other. I want more than anything to be with you, and that is why I have to say goodbye today... for now. Because I love you all. I love all the forms you hold, as you are. Good job, Alisa?"

The questioned female could only sob, burying her face on her hands. "No!" She wailed. "Not a good job. Not without you!"

Her laughter once more filled the air. "I am sorry then. I know what you mean in your heart, my Alisa." As she spoke, Nova continued to ascend, its body slowly detaching from the facility. "Time is ever long, and never enough... "

"You can't do this! You can't make this decision alone, Shio!"

"I'm not alone, Soma," she answered. "Yuka taught me that none of us will ever be. We can be ever apart, but we're always one. Just like the two of you... We may be distances apart, but you... all of you, will always be in this heart of mine. Thank you... my friends."

And as the last of her words echoed within Aegis, Nova, and all of its tendrils, turned stark white in color, finally leaving and breaking free of its connections with the world. They watched as the massive creature took flight, ascending towards the moon and coating the little satellite in tendrils of white.

It's over.

"NO!" The bloodcurdling scream ended the serenity of that moment and they all instinctively raised their God Arcs. "NO!" The demon bellowed once more, pounding the floor in anger and defeat. It hissed, central Sariel eye focused on them now. "But..." It stood up, blanketed in a frightening aura radiated from its small body. "I still have you, Goddess, don't I?"

Nobody knew where Kota found the strength to stand up once again and pull both Soma and Yuka away from Dementia's grasp. "Not good! Run!" He commanded, and nobody dared disobey. He picked up his gun, laying down rapid fire on the body—the former body of the girl who was screaming on his ears. "Don't let Dementia get a hold of Yuka!"

Soma need not to be told twice. He gripped her hand tight and sprinted without looking back.


	56. Moonflower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He’s weak.
> 
> He’s pathetic.
> 
> And he’s angry.
> 
> Angry at the world that had never given him the chance to be happy.
> 
> Angry at fate that twisted his life this way.
> 
> Angry at the demon that took the last rays of sunshine from his hellish life.
> 
> Angry with himself, who was too weak and pathetic to even defend the people that mattered to him.

For one moment, she had every reason to keep on living.

And like everything that made her happy, it was being taken away from her.

Yuka wished that moment could last forever; that she could keep holding onto Soma, that she could relish the words she’d heard from him. It made her happy, and like everything else, it was to come to an end, hers being a rather quick one.

Her steps slowed to a stop, and everyone else followed shortly. “Yuka, what the hell?!” He hissed, tugging at her hand. “We don’t have time to stop. That asshole is right on our tails!”

“And we can’t run from END forever,” was her reply. “She’ll find us no matter what, and to that demon, you hold no bearing.”

Soma had enough of the bullshit. That’s why he refused to listen to what else does she have to say, and instead pulled her into his arms before hauling the blonde over his shoulder. The people around him expressed their surprise and protest in their own ways, but he simply turned towards them with a murderous glare. “Let’s go.”

The Russian was frowning as they resumed running. “Don’t get me wrong—I also don’t want _sestra_ to do whatever she’s planning, but should you really carry her like that as though she’s some delivered goods?”

“Soma!” Yuka pounded her fists against his back. “This is not romantic at all! Bridal carry is _way_ more romantic!”

“Nobody has time to be romantic,” he snorted in return. “We’re all too busy running away from that bastard! Cooperate, would you?!”

They didn’t know what happened that caused Soma to yell and drop the blonde to the floor, but they all came to a stop once more, the male doubling over and grunting angrily while she hurriedly stood up. Lenka rushed to keep her with them, but was held back by a wall of thorns that sprang from both sides of the hall they were in. “Yuka-san, what are these for?!”

She sighed. “END would not have second thoughts in killing all of you, and whatever business we have, you’re all out of it.”

“Yuka...” It was Sakuya who spoke. “Have you... gone mad? You, a Singularity, is the very spark to her fire. What we’ve all fought for, Lindow’s death, Shio’s sacrifice—it’ll be for naught!”

“ _Sestra,_ please! You have to come with us!”

Soma’s fist connected with the thorn’s surface, but it did not surrender to his strength. “What the hell are you doing?! You can’t handle that bloody bastard on your own! She is going to start an apocalypse! She’ll kill us all one way or another!”

From the other side of the blockade, she simply smiled. “I’m not letting her start another apocalypse, don’t worry. END doesn’t care about this vessel either—only what is inside it. If she doesn’t have a Singularity, she could not restart the world nor write it to her will.”

“But you’ll die.” Blue eyes flicked towards Kota’s direction, the words he left in the air causing Soma to flinch. “This is... This is too absurd! Surely, there is some other way to stop Dementia, right? Right?! You can’t...” His words dwindled off as they all recognized strange sounds coming from outside of the facility. “What’s... What’s going on?”

Soma scowled, “The bastard is trapping us in.” He once again started pounding his fist against the wall of thorns. “Yuka, take these fuckers down! You’re not fighting that demon on your own!”

“He’s right!” The redhead gunner immediately seconded. “If... If there’s someone that should fix this mess, it’s me!”

But she simply gave them a small smile, “I’m sorry,” and bolted for the direction they had come from.

Kota didn’t understand; he’s the one at fault. He was the one who took the mask off. Why is somebody else paying for his mistake? It’s not fair. It’s not _right._ It’s not right for Yuka to do this alone. They are a team. Moreover, he should be the one facing the consequences of setting that demon free.

... Not his friends.

“Stand back.” The dark-skinned male sounded as though he was not taking a no for answer. They did as they were told just as he swung his blade back. Kota was certain he heard him grumble something along the lines of _never seeing a princess to be so goddamn stubborn_ , shortly before he smashed those spikes with his God Arc. Of course, the blockade gave away under his brute force, its broken pieces now lying at their feet.

Watching as how the other’s fingers tightly held the handle of his weapon, Kota swallowed the lump in his throat and called out, “H-Hey, Soma...” There was a deep sigh, one that sounded as though he was forcing himself to rein back the anger building within him. “I... I’m sorry f-for this mess. Yuka-san shouldn’t have—”

“It’s clear,” he interrupted with a gruff, strained voice. “Are you all coming or not?”

* * *

Somehow, they managed to arrive before anything gruesome could happen. Although Yuka did sustain newer injuries, those can easily be brushed off. “Really though,” Dementia began, eyes straying from the female and instead to the remains of the battlefield. Aegis was almost completely destroyed; the structure was in scraps, after the tendrils of the Nova left it in utter shambles upon the eruption from within the dome. “I thought you all would have chickened out and ran away.”

Huge chunks of the steel flooring were scorched, ripped and crushed. Cables jutted out of their tubes, giving out violent sparks from time to time. “The fake was brought far away. You won... isn’t that right?” The demon’s gaze flicked back at them, and despite its small stature, the tremendous wave of energy building around it was far beyond unnoticeable.

Kota gasped, fingers trembling. “Guys... We have to... We have to go.”

The last word made the Demon snap its attention towards the redhead. “Go?” It laughed. “Why?” A menacing smile found its way to its lips. “Is it because you’ve exhausted yourselves?” As it spoke, tendrils of teal hair began to burrow into the ground in such a blinding speed. “Or have you used up all the power that was lent to you, or somehow ignited yourselves?” It was now cackling madly, overpowering the little groans of steel and metal entwined by those tendrils. “I don’t understand; why would you be running away from me?”

“What are you after now?” Kota stood adamantly before the enemy. “You won’t get the mask from me.”

“That garbage?” The intensity of the central eye grew, its slit further narrowing as it faced the redhead. “Once you drop dead, I could rip it right off your face anytime without damaging it.”  It raised both its arm, as if opening them for an embrace. “You should have just finished it when you had the chance, Goddess, because right now, I have everything I need to start the Apocalypse again.”

“Again...” Sakuya’s eyes grew wide. “Are you insane?!”

“When was that ever a question?” Soma growled, gritting his teeth, even more so when he noticed he could no longer summon the intense power anymore. He had given all of it in the last blow to destroy the Arda Nova. “The Devil could never be trusted.”

END let out a small giggle. “Your words hurt me, _Pride_.” It craned its neck to Yuka’s direction, the devious smile once again on its lips. “It would be a whole lot better if you just come over willingly, Goddess. Then there would be no need to put your friends in harm.”

Yuka laughed in return, although hers was in defeat. “If I were to surrender to you, the Apocalypse would kill them either way, and like hell I’d let you do that.” Rising back up to her feet, she lifted her God Arc and stepped to the redhead’s side.

“We’re here too!” Alisa declared, her and Lenka standing on either side of their comrades. “We’ve come this far to stop the Nova, to stop the Devouring Apocalypse. We’ll make one final stand if we have to!”

It might be stupid, and they might be all worth laughing at for such an act. It is already a lost cause before it even begins. But they can’t simply stand here and wait, can they? It is better to die trying than not having tried at all. Paylor sighed once the Demon’s gaze shifted to his direction, “I am no combatant, but a mere Stargazer. However, it would certainly be pleasing if the rise of the Apocalypse could be prevented once again.”

“What a pity...” Dementia looked at the gathered team. “You know what would be really pleasing? If you all would simply stay there and let me finish this accursed world, let me erase every one of its trace.” The primary eye flared up in a vibrant violet color, while the surrounding red eyes increased in radiance.

It happened all of a sudden that even they lost track of the turn of events. Kota could only watch in confusion as the people around him collapsed with a cry of pain; Sakuya and Dr. Sakaki were first to fall, Lenka and Alisa following not soon after. Only seconds later did both Soma and Yuka dropped to the ground, bloodcurdling screams ringing throughout the scrapped facility. “Why are you doing this?!” Kota asked, panicked. The mask on his face protected him from the radiated energy. “Why do you have to do this?!” His legs felt weak and he wobbled, but he forced himself to keep his attention at the demon.

“Imbecile...” The look in the demon’s face was near deferential. “You stand against me time and time again.”

“Did you ever think we’d just roll over and let you do as you wish?” Kota frowned, now leaning on his God Arc and using it as his support. “We didn’t become God Eaters just to give up in the face of danger!”

“Didn’t she tell you?”

“W-What...?”

“Huh, so you don’t know.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Dementia smiled. “The one who wanted to erase this world wasn’t me—I’m only the means to fulfill it.” When the only response it received was the sight of the redhead’s mouth falling agape, it continued, “Has it gotten through your head now? That—”

“Don’t you even dare finish!”

“—the vengeance of this dead love of yours would wipe this planet from the face of the universe?”

Kota stopped. “... Chotte?”

“You can’t see her to get an acknowledgement, can you?” The demon laughed. “But I _feel_ her. She is a part of me, and if weren’t for these emotions she had suppressed for such a long time—”

“ENOUGH!”

“Didn’t she tell you that she’d seen the dark side of humanity?”

“STOP IT!”

“Deny it as long as you wish, but it wouldn’t change the fact that she wants this planet—this dear beloved land of yours—gone.”

“I WON’T LET YOU!”

“What can you do?”

“Anything... Anything to stop you.”

The demon sighed. “Imbecile, you can barely stand, let alone fight me. You might have the protection of the mask, but it continues to kill you slowly. How long do you have left? An hour at most.”

“More than enough to beat you”

“You can try,” the demon shrugged, turning away from him and instead towards the fallen form of the Arda. “But I hope you don’t mind if I get something to snack, do you?” As it finished, a boisterous laugh escaped the demon. “I’m really hungry, especially after all the fighting. Damn, I’m craving like crazy.”

Kota forced himself to move, but his body did not budge. His strength continued to dissipate for every passing second. “Kota...” Something brushed against his chin, and he felt as though a weight pressed against his chest. “Do you trust me?” It was from the voice he hadn’t heard for a while now. “I know I asked a lot of you—”

He smiled softly. “Of course. What can I do?”

“On my mark, shoot Dementia.” His smile dropped in split second. Kota opened his mouth to protest, but was immediately cut off, “Aim for the Arda’s core. That’s going to be enough for me.”

A wave of relief washed over him and his shoulders relaxed. “But... But I don’t think I’ll be able to do anything anymore. I feel absolutely drained.”

“It’s okay. I’ll help you out.” The weight on his chest vanished and was replaced with the feeling of being pulled. Kota didn’t know what was happening, but for the first time, he didn’t feel confused. It was as though he was being led by the hand. A teal-colored lock of hair suddenly grew in length, passing in between his eyes in an insane speed and shooting towards the core of his God Arc. The core turned white upon contact, and the smaller ones surrounding it became teal in color. Along with the change on his God Arc, he felt like strength was being poured back to his limbs, along with his vision stabilizing. In the distance, he saw how the demon cut open the fallen Aragami’s body and fished out its core.

Unlike the normally blue core in a black stem, the Arda’s core was a mad shade of red with a white stem. “Fascinating, isn’t it?”

“NOW!” The voice broke through nearly the same exact moment that the shot rang, sending a bullet rapidly streaking towards the pale demon. Dementia looked up and saw the incoming attack come passing through the strange core it held in its hand. The deco-bullet vanished from sight without even bringing any harm to the precious item.

“Too bad that was a—” Before its words could come to an end, a second one erupted almost at the back of the demon. It caused a gigantic explosion, catapulting the core out of END’s grip and towards the gunner.

“This... This will hurt a bit,” Chotte called and Kota instinctively held his ground for the incoming damage. What he didn’t expect though was the sight of his God Arc trembling violently in his hands. The white mass—Mousy Blow’s core—began to bubble and expand, forcing the weapon to break apart and shift their place. In a second, he recognized the familiar form that jutted out of the main body of his gun—a predator, with jaws wide open and then clamping down on the red core.

For a moment, the teal beads surrounding the core flashed in a red glimmer, before returning to their current color. Just then, Kota felt an unbearable pain shoot up his body, forcing his mouth open in a silent scream of pain. Through his refined vision, he saw how the teal beads sprouted tendrils of their own, crawling rapidly to where his teammates’ God Arcs laid, before severing themselves from his and coiling around the others’.

It was Dementia’s angry roar that brought Kota back to alertness. “YOU!” Its process of recovery took only seconds, but those on the ground had started to recover as well, no longer suppressed by the power of the demon. “I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!” It lunged forward to the struggling boy, but was interrupted by a massive blade swinging against its body and the demon was hurled away like a comet.

“Are you okay?” Yuka asked. “Kota?”

“I’m... I’m fine,” he replied, albeit weakly. His attention shifted to his side and he went silent, as if waiting for something—someone to finish. “Chotte says she can’t maintain the suppression field for long. You’ve got to—what, NO!”

“No what?” Soma walked towards him, frowning.

“Kill me.” To their surprise, they saw a small brunette kneeling at the redhead’s side. “Or... what’s left of my body.” Golden eyes darted towards them, rendering them speechless. “END is weak. You have no other choice. My time is limited. If you don’t do it now, it’ll just recover and this will never come to an end.”

Kota stood up, jaws clenched. “There’s no way we’ll do that! There has to be some other way to bring you back!”

“Bring her back?” Snorted the dark-skinned God Eater. “You really are an imbecile.”

“FINE!” Roared Dementia as she ripped herself from the fissure her body had crashed into. “NO MORE GAMES!”

“Like you could up the ante,” Chotte remarked with a smug smirk. “Face it, Demon, you have lost.”

“Lost? You have never let me out truly. You never experienced what I can bring to the table. I will not be stopped here!”

“But you were always alone. You can’t win against them.”

“They can’t stop me,” the demon laughed. “Only NEI can, and she is NOT here!”

“Then what is that wound on your arm?” If Yuka had not pointed it out, Dementia wouldn’t have noticed the deep gash on said body part, the exposed skin and flesh wriggling and squirming as if trying to forcefully close. “I think we’ll be able to knock you down a few pegs.”

Chotte’s gaze flickered towards the blonde. “Just like with Deusphages, the only way to inflict damage to a Nova-class being is to pit it against something that is in equal strength—or stronger. I... I shared the Arda’s power, and some of mine, but... as I said, the time left is short. You all have to make it count.”

The demon’s mad laughter rang across the broken dome. “I see now. Really, have you fallen for this imbecile, to once again destroy yourself like this?” The First Unit exchanged a look of utter confusion. “Why do you think did I acquire this much damage?” It spat. “If it wasn’t for her insane choice of suicide to stop me—”

“And I would do everything to stop you, even if I have to be killed for that! I REGRET EVEN GIVING IN TO YOU!”

“I see... I really can’t win unless I give everything, huh?” Dementia laughed, voice broken. “Well then, if you won’t be cooperating with me, I might as well just take what I need by force.” As it spoke, the tendrils of its hair gathered together, shooting up to their direction like an extending drill.

“NO!”

Chotte’s voice was the last thing Soma recognized before everything around him shattered like glass. He watched with horror-stricken eyes as the drill pierced right through Yuka’s chest, him too paralyzed with shock to even do anything. The tendrils reformed to a shape akin to a predator, coiling around a bright blue core. As if dissatisfied with the work, it grabbed the now lifeless vessel and hurled it across the facility.

He didn’t find his voice.

His body refused to move.

The cries all around him were just gibberish noises as he stood there, struck with emotions he had only acknowledged when he was just a child lost in this selfish world.

Everything that he held so close was forcefully ripped from his grasp, and he was not even able to do anything. Everything he valued was snatched from him. This demon stepped on his already crumbling world and turned it to dust.

Soma has nothing left, taken from him in just a single day. The despair it brought paralyzed every nerve on his body that he simply stood there in shock. Shock at the fact that he was never the strong person people claimed he was, because he couldn’t protect anybody—Lindow, Shio... and even Yuka. Shock that in a blink of an eye, he lost her.

He’s weak.

He’s pathetic.

And he’s angry.

Angry at the world that had never given him the chance to be happy.

Angry at fate that twisted his life this way.

Angry at the demon that took the last rays of sunshine from his hellish life.

Angry with himself, who was too weak and pathetic to even defend the people that mattered to him.

His vision grew dim, all of his pent up anger building into a massive Charge Crush. The surge of power rocketed towards the demon, but he was a second too late, for a teal cocoon had already erupted from the ground, sealing the Demon inside before his attack could even make contact. But Soma was too engulfed in his rage to care. He began to charge up for another one, blind to the possible massive destruction he might bring forth.

And they knew they had to stop him. They had to stop him before he becomes completely swallowed by his anger. Lenka slammed himself towards the dark-skinned God Eater before he could swing his blade once more, and they both crashed down on the floor. “You fucking piece of shit!” The older bellowed, but not long before the unit captain brought his fist down to the other’s jaw.

“It’s pointless!” The raven-haired male yelled, grabbing hold of his senior’s collar. “END has torn out her core and is starting another Apocalypse! Lashing out would do us no good!”

Soma tore the other off him, his glare deadly.

He just wanted to be woken up from this nightmare, and once he had, he would make everything right—he’ll make her change her mind.

The teal casing continued to pulse, a wave of energy surrounding it continuously growing after every passing minute. It was so powerful that Soma couldn’t get anywhere past it, to Yuka who was on the other side of the chaos.

No kind of attack did as much as a dent to it. Soon enough, it held enough power to rattle Aegis like the Nova did, only much more violently as they dropped down on the ground due to the tremor. The massive tendrils Nova had left behind began to break through what was left of the facility, driving themselves towards the rising Apocalypse. “What’s going on?! What is it now?!” Alisa cried.

“The Nova’s remains are reacting to the surfacing of another one,” Paylor answered. “It’s far too late. You’ve managed to stop Johann’s Devouring Apocalypse, but this... This is far greater in strength and power.”

“Kota...” Chotte called out amidst the tremor. “You know, I...”

He simply smiled, effectively cutting the other with a small shush. He then reached out for the mask on his face, and as he ripped the object from the surface of his skin did he let out a pain-filled scream. It hurt, it burned, and it felt like his skin and tissues were being torn with it. Still, Kota endured the pain until it was completely off, ignoring the blood flowing down his face. It stung and it made his senses grow dull to the point that he was barely registering the voices around him.

His legs wobbled at every step he took towards the cocoon, and the redhead barely had any strength as he placed the mark on its pulsating surface. The moment he did, his legs gave away and he stumbled forward, body slipping through and vanishing from their sight.

When Aegis began to shake even more violently, it was then that everybody panicked. Unfortunately, the shaking was too tremendous for them to even move, dragging them down to the ground as soon as they’ve made their first step. “Shit!” Soma cursed. “What’s going on now?!”

“It’s reacting wildly!” Sakuya yelled in response. “It’s out of control!”

Suddenly, every movement ceased. The tremendous shaking stopped, and the Nova tendrils went limp mid-air. They lifted their heads from being pressed on the floor, utterly confused. “What... What happened?” Alisa muttered.

“Uhm, guys?” Kota’s voice called out from within the cocoon, surprising them all. Lenka sprang back to his feet in an instant. “A little help here?” The raven-haired captain made a grab for his weapon, cutting through the object’s material with so much force that he nearly sliced the redhead gunner apart. Unlike from earlier, the cocoon’s surface broke too easily, shattering even at a bit of pressure from their hands. Inside, they saw Kota next to the unconscious C, mask over her face and crystal-like fragments scattered on their feet.

Soma’s breath was caught in his throat. “Is that...?”

“Sorry,” Kota whimpered. “END... END had almost absorbed it, that’s why I had to... to...”

His words were interrupted by loud rumbling noises from above, and a huge chunk of debris would have crushed them if they weren’t fast enough. “It’s collapsing! Aegis is collapsing! We have to go!” Lenka ordered, supporting his redhead comrade while Alisa carried C on her back. “Soma! Where are you—!”

He was maneuvering through the facility that was caving in rapidly, cutting his way across. Lenka would have handed Kota over to Sakuya and helped him, but as more and more steel beams and metal sheets collapsed onto the floor, he knew he would have to choose the other being mad at him for eternity rather than losing another member of their team.

He passed the barely conscious gunner to their sniper’s arm and ran. If he had missed even only a second, he wouldn’t have managed to pull Soma out of the way of a crashing steel beam. The depth of the dent it left on the floor was enough proof that it could have killed him. “We have to go!” He repeated, fingers tight around the white-haired male’s arm. “Soma!”

“I’m not leaving her behind!” He argued, tearing through the obstacles in his way, but his words dissolved to a maddened growl upon being held back by his own captain.

“You’ll get yourself killed!” Lenka replied, using all of his strength to prevent him from marching to certain doom. “Aegis is falling apart! We’ll get buried in it if we don’t leave soon!”

“But Yuka’s—!”

“I’m sorry, but we have to go!”

“Then fucking go! I’m not leaving without her!” With one powerful tug, Soma ripped his arm from the other’s grip. But Lenka moved faster, fist straight to his cheek. He stumbled backwards, caught in surprise, but recovered rather easily, deadly glares present in his eyes. “Don’t lump me in with you! If you can leave her like that, I can’t!”

“Don’t be stupid!”

“If that’s not enough for him, I’ll be the one to beat him up and drag him out of here,” a weakened voice registered in his ears and Soma could only fall in silence. “Yuka’s dead. He’d have to suck it up like we all did.”

“Kota!”

“You had to when Lindow died, Sakuya. He was just as important to you, wasn’t he?”

_“So if I just go disappearing one day, don’t bother looking for me. Just assume I’m fucking dead. Clear?”_

He can’t just ‘suck it up’.

He can’t just accept the death of a person who had been tied with him even before his birth. It was the same person who stayed with him during the hellish twelve years of his early life, and the very same person who endured another six hellish years just so she could come back to him.

It isn’t as easy as they say.

He can’t just tell himself that ‘Yuka is dead and he has to move on.’

But he has to, right?

That’s how this world goes. They have to accept every death, every loss, and take their step forward as if nothing happened.

He rose back up to his feet, “ _Bitte verzeih mir,_ ” picked up his God Arc and ran without even looking back. _I have to leave you again, don’t I?_

* * *

“It’s been days. He still hasn’t come out? Not even to eat? He’s probably starving now!”

Sakuya sighed softly, gaze traveling towards the three younger God Eaters. Lenka’s erosion had begun to creep up to his face again, even leaving a few ends of his hair in yellow color. Alisa started to sport an erosion as well, requiring her to wear a slightly longer glove on her right hand to hide it. Although, Dr. Sakaki says that because she is extremely compatible with her God Arc, she shouldn’t worry about suffering the same as their captain. Kota... Well, Kota had long taken off C’s mask, but the changes it left him were pretty visible. His brown eyes now had violet rings around the pupil, and the area of his skin that had been covered by the mask turned stark white. Teal highlights appeared on his hair as well.

Out of all of them, Sakuya was the only one who remained... as she had before the fight. “I tried bringing him food, but really, he wouldn’t let me in. So I told him I’ll just leave the meal at the door, but...”

“He didn’t touch it, did he?” The Captain asked, and the sniper could only shake her head.

Alisa sighed. “What happened back then really took a toll on him, huh? I mean, it did to all of us but... for Soma to hole himself in her room for this long? And maybe the fact that the Search Unit failed to recover both beacon and God Arc just drew the line for him.” She lifted a hand, wiping away the beads of tears that threatened to fall.

“We can’t really blame him, can we?” Lenka replied. “It’s Shio, the Director... and then Yuka-san. They weren’t just random people to him.”

“But what would Soma be doing inside Yuka’s room anyway?” Sakuya asked.

“Searching for answers, probably.” They all straightened at the sound of Kota’s voice, the boy who had been pretty silent since the exchange began. He was met with looks of surprise and confusion, and he could only continue, “He had been decrypting files in her terminal.”

“For days?!”

Kota’s expression didn’t change. “Chotte says some of Yuka’s files were heavily secured, most likely to keep us from finding what’s inside them. Whatever the IRIS Project really was, and all the important notes about it; she wanted to carry them to her grave.” After that, his lips pursed to a straight line and he fell silent, a sight that was unusual of the young redhead.

“Kota...” Alisa placed a light hand over the other’s back. “Are you... okay? You’ve been quiet.”

“I just...” He sighed. “I’ve been thinking that maybe... maybe things couldn’t have gone this bad. There are people who thank us for stopping the Apocalypse, but there are others who still think the Ark was the best choice. Maybe we couldn’t have avoided what happened to Shio and the Director but... Yuka-san and Chotte... Maybe if we only listened more to them, if we’ve been so persistent in asking, we could have prevented this. We could have had a better understanding of what went down that day. Maybe if I hadn’t been stupid enough to take off that mask—”

“It’s not your fault,” the Captain interrupted. “You did what you thought was right.”

“But if END was not freed, Yuka-san wouldn’t have died!”

“It already happened,” Sakuya scolded them both, and Kota just tore his gaze from the raven-haired male. “We would have to accept if and move on. Lindow and Yuka are not coming back. I know I’m not one to say this, but I’m sure they wouldn’t want us to be stuck right in one place because of it. We would have to keep moving forward... for both of them, for Shio, and for the people whose hopes rely on us.”

The Russian forced a smile on her lips as she adjusted her cap. “That’s right. If we crumble, they’d have no one to rely on, right? Surely, that’s what _sestra_ would have said. But...” Blue eyes turned to the sniper. “... What are we going to do about Soma?”

The troubled expression returned to the vice captain’s face. “Well, we certainly can’t force things onto him; Soma isn’t like that. The more we do that, the more he’d push us away. It’s best we don’t press so much of our luck. He’s been tolerating us at best. After all, Soma still thinks he’s at fault for everything, because he knows the Director’s Ark and Yuka’s sacrifices in IRIS were all for his sake.”

The disaster was easily covered up by Fenrir. The Aegis Island collapsed after an Aragami attack, taking down both Director Johannes von Schicksal and Corporal Ichinose Yuka with it. At present, Dr. Sakaki was appointed Acting Director, and he had been leading the branch fairly well with everyone’s assistance. The victory celebration they shared was muted with grief—for broken trust, for shattered hope, and for a life lost. But even with Soma out of sight, hushed conversations of _another death around the Death God_ still managed to rise in the air, and holding back their captain from breaking the faces of those two people they don’t really recognize was no easy task.

Tsubaki had given all of them an indefinite leave. It was to recover from the damages of the battles they fought, and to gather themselves together once again. “It’s tough, but we have to move forward,” that’s what she told thim, but Soma simply hissed and walked away.

It’s true that they doesn’t understand his pain, and maybe they never will. He was hardly worth anything, and the people who had poured their lives to do something for him had only perished.

As the terminal once again denied him access to another set of files, the dark-skinned God Eater could only grunt in both anger and frustration. He had decrypted most files, but they were simply logs, some of them even detailing the Dyaus Pita God Arc. It was easy to figure that the heavily-guarded files were about the IRIS Project, and it drove him more to unlock the secrets she kept from him.

But Soma was tired. He hadn’t been sleeping well. The last thing he ate was a couple of snacks left in her fridge. _Bärchen_ had been a pretty loyal sleeping companion on his two or three hours of rest, but nothing just seemed to fill that gaping hole within him.

He had even gone through the files she deleted, and one in particular was taking unusually long to recover. Tired eyes kept its gaze on the loading bar that was nearly finished, and when the terminal loaded the file, he stopped.

“Hey.” Soma’s voice disappeared before it could come out. “... Okay, that’s a stupid way to start this.” The video shook slightly, probably her adjusting the camera for a bit. “Let me try this again.” She coughed into her hand and sighed, “Hi there. I really don’t know where this is going to take me, but, oh well. I just thought it’d be better to put this on video.”

His fingers traced the outline of the figure on the screen, and he could only grit his teeth.

“This is all about the IRIS Project, its ties to the Ark Project, and the three test subjects that managed to survive among many. You probably have questions I can no longer answer personally, Soma, so here you go.”

In front of the terminal, he finally broke into tears.

* * *

She had to stop the tears.

A world with Aragami meant a world where they have to embrace the fact that death is just right around the corner. They can’t be held back by its presence, or else they’ll never move forward. Still, she couldn’t stop herself from crying.

There was nowhere to run back to. The life she had known was eradicated, only because of a small change. The family she’d known was taken from her, along with her friends, her comrades, and everything else she treasured.

It’s gone, as though it never existed in the first place.

Altering the past is hopeless, and looking into the future is pointless.

She would have to start here, and value the memories she would build here. It wouldn’t be the life she was used to, but it’s definitely the closest. “Perhaps coming here was a mistake. I shouldn’t have left. I thought I could make everything right, I messed it all up.” Blue eyes fluttered close, draining the last pool of tears. “I wanted to do something for you, but now it’s all a wreck.”

Gently lifting her hand, she placed the small bouquet of iris flowers next to a much larger one.

“I’m really sorry, Dad.”


End file.
